Sleepless Rewrite
by Rhiw
Summary: Unable to sleep Obi-Wan travels the Temple floors nightly.Without realizing it he has become famous to the upper Jedi. The Sleepless One. And finally it has caught the attention of the Council. And something must be done. PrePM.
1. Of Wanderings and Worries

So, this is the first chapter of the rewrite. There have been some major changes to the story, but a lot of the original will remain. The other chapters are coming as soon as I am satisfied with them. Now, for fans of my other story, Unexpected Awakening, I have the next chapter of that written as well. It'll be up as I am finished twinking it.

I'm settled into to college now (In my third or so week) and have to go to my night class now. But I'm really hoping I'll be able to update more efficiently, so be on the look out. Writing Obi-Wan is for some reason hard for me. Not because I find that is a difficult character but because I have to be in a…mood to write him to my liking. Sometimes, and I know you writers know what I am talking about, that mood just isn't there. And I refuse to force writing. When I try it's harsh, hollow and without a feeling of fluidness.

As always, my apologizes on mistakes. I usually go back at some point and fix them. That can be soon or really far away depending on my laziness. Thank you so much for your reviews and support. If it was for those of you that reviewed via Fanfic and my personal e-mail (I encourage anyone who wants to do that) I would not have gotten the inspiration to edit this fic enough to make me want to continue it.

Sincerely and humbly yours,

Rhiw

**Yeah, so don't ask how it happened, because I'm still unsure (glares at sibling) but somehow like almost all the chapters got deleted, so I'm reposting them. **

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 1**

_Of Wandering_

Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure why he was wandering around the temple in his sleep clothes. Yet he was. His feet carried him down unfamiliar halls, his left hand trailing across the wall.

He had no idea where he was.

That in itself was a rare thing for Obi-Wan. He'd come to know the temple like an extension of himself over the past few years, so the fact that he had finally wandered into a wing he didn't recognize most likely meant he wasn't supposed to be there. He figured he'd get in trouble if he was caught, yet he didn't want to go back to his room.

Tonight – like almost every night – his room was too confining. Obi-Wan padded the halls softly, barely bothering to send scans in front of him. He doubted anyone would be up at this hour. The smooth walls of the Temple caused his finger tips to tingle and he drew invisible patterns against the blocks. He let his mind drift into an empty state, watching with bored interest as each corner revealed a new yet semi-identical hallway.

He stilled as his hand met air, turning to glance at the open door before him in surprise. It led to a neatly decorated viewing room. Obi-Wan hesitated before entering, the logical part of his mind quickly labeling the posh interior as a selective rank lounge. Glancing around the seemingly empty room Obi-Wan took a cautious step in. When nothing of any consequence happened he wandered in deeper.

A window spread the length of the forward wall, displaying a small balcony and the ever-busy skyline of Coruscant. The room was clearly used mainly for meetings and a series of chairs were placed directly in the middle of the room, forming a circle. Against the sides of the walls were a series of sitting enclaves – dark now with their overhang lights deactivated. Obi-Wan let his hand stroke the soft velvet of the meeting chairs as he stared out at the busy city.

As he watched the traffic lanes Obi-Wan felt the fear and anxiety he had so carefully avoided growing. He let out a sigh that seemed to echo harshly around the deserted room. He had to face the facts, Obi-Wan decided, setting his face grimly. No Master was going to take him. His birthday was approaching swifter then he would have liked and still no one showed interest in him. He would not be a Jedi.

Obi-Wan felt his heart contract with pain and his hand reflexively gripped the back of the chair. No! He had trained his whole life to become this! They couldn't just end it all!

Could they?

Shaking his head he kicked off his slippers, the cold of the temple floor shocking his feet for a moment. He wiggled his toes against the silver floor tiles and noted miserably that he needed to cut his toe nails. He trudged towards the balcony door and palmed it open. Almost instantly the wind of the Coruscant night filled the room, whipping his sleep clothes around his body. He stepped out onto the balcony, shivering as the cold night air caused long lines of goose bumps to prickle up and down the length of his arms. It was cold, especially when only clad in thin night clothes, but Obi-Wan enjoyed being it. Enjoyed the way it made his body shudder and twitch, as if it was a physical manifestation of the feelings wound so tightly in his chest. A light push with the Force and the door slid shut behind him. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, staring down at the traffic below. It was such a waste to end it now. He bowed his head, resting his chin against the cold metal. He reached out to the Force and tugged at it gently; taking what comfort he could from its presence.

Surely this was not what the Force had in plain for him. Even if it was...he would still have the Force. That wouldn't leave Obi-Wan simply because he hadn't made Jedi. Would it?

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn was stewing in his seat. He tried to read the political reports for his next mission but found his irritation and yes, anger even, towards a certain green troll making it hard to concentrate. Sighing he brought his hands to rub his forehead. He shut off the data pad he was reading and the pale white light that was illuminating the small area left.

Despite every intention to avoid them, thoughts of Xanatos filled his mind and his jaw clenched. He forced himself to take a drink of his tea as his jaw muscles began to ache. Qui-Gon could not stanch the flow the thoughts of pain, disappointment and betrayal that encircled his mind. This was why he hated it here. This place always did this to him. Made it impossible to pretend that -

The Force flickered briefly, breaking the Jedi Master out his loathsome thoughts and grey eyes flickered to the open door in surprise as they took in the figure the stood there. Not many were awake and in this wing at this hour. And an Initiate shouldn't even be in this corridor.

Qui-Gon drifted further back into the shadows, not wanting to have to speak to anyone. The softest command to the Force masked his signature and he watched the boy in annoyance. He seemed old – Qui-Gon guessed he was most likely a member of the Wolf Clan by the partially hidden badge on the hem of the boy's sleep shirt. Even so, he thought in disapproval, a twelve year old should not be out and about at this time of night.

The Initiate's face was stoically blank as he stared out of the viewing window yet Qui-Gon could easily see the turmoil racing within the boy. The Jedi Master fought the urge to click his tongue at the amount of fear and frustration he felt in the boy. It was most likely due to the closeness of the selection deadline, as Qui-Gon knew that most of the Wolf Clan had already been apprenticed. He was not so old that he could not remember the anxieties of that time, but if the boy had not been picked already than there was clearly a reason. The Initiate moved with a lanky grace as he went onto the balcony, a feat he would not have been able to accomplish if Qui-Gon had not unlocked it earlier.

As the Initiate leaned against the railing Qui-Gon gathered his things. It would be easy to slip out unnoticed with the boy outside. He was certainly in no mood to deal with an unruly child. The Master moved to leave, sparing the boy one last glance and froze, eyes widening in pure disbelief. _Fool! _The boy was standing easily on the rail; head pulled back and up, watching the busy night sky in blank interest. The wind tore violently at his clothes and the Initiate rocked precariously on the ledge - but he did not fall, stance shifting to regain his balance.

Qui-Gon was moving towards the door and out onto the balcony with swift, furious steps before he'd even processed the impressive act of acrobatics. He reached a hand out and caught the back of the boy's nightshirt and pulled. The Initiate gasped and tumbled violently backwards, landing on the balcony floor in a heap, hissing as his forearm slammed against a railing support with an audible thump.

"What did you think you were doing?" Qui-Gon demanded harshly. The Initiate stared up at him with wide eyes, clutching his forearm against his chest.

"I'm sorry – I was – I mean I-" The boy's stuttering died off as Qui-Gon raised his hand in a sharp, silencing gesture.

"Do you realize how dangerous that little stunt was? Is it not clear to you how long a fall that would be? Never the mind that this is a restricted floor." The Initiate stared at Qui-Gon's boots intensely. "An Initiate of your age should be obeying the rules – not breaking them. How did you suppose this would look on your record?" He bit back the rest of his words immediately as the boy visibly flinched.

Qui-Gon sighed and brought a hand to his forehead. He should not have said that. He had not meant to take his irritation out on the boy. Worse, he thought sourly, he had knowingly struck at a deep fear. He glanced down at the Initiate.

"Initiate," The boy looked up at him and Qui-Gon almost winced at the look of utter fear in his eyes, "Go to bed."

He nodded quickly and stood, bowing before all but running out of the room.

Qui-Gon stared after the Initiate for a long moment before sighing, slumping slightly against the metal safety bar. The cold of it bit into his lower back and the night air traveled easily through the folds of his coat. _So, am I a bully now? _He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his eyes tiredly, guilt flaring so strongly the Jedi Master could almost taste it.

* * *

Obi-Wan leaned against the back of the door to his quarters. He had been staring at the same spot of color on his carpet for hours. His knees ached from being locked in one position for so long, but Obi-Wan ignored it. The words of the unknown Master echoed through his head.

"Well," He said darkly, "There's one that definitely won't take me." The Initiate sighed, bringing his hands to cover his eyes. He rubbed them with a vengeance, making little spots of light explode behind his closed lids. Obi-Wan glanced at the clock. Two hours before his first class. He straightened himself and groaned as he cracked his back sourly.

The unknown Master was right in any case. Obi-Wan shouldn't be making himself look any worse than he apparently already did to the Masters. Every night he meant to go to sleep, but every time he laid himself down he found that he just wanted to get up again. And so Obi-Wan wandered the hallways. Every night he tried to visit as much as the Temple as he could without being caught. It had become a contest of boredom with himself; how far could he get tonight without running into anyone else?

He headed into his fresher and sighed at his appearance. Soft grey circles were under his eyes and his face had the dull look one gets when they hardly sleep. A shower would fix that though. Obi-Wan stripped quickly, pausing only to stare at the rather large grey-blue bruise that was forming. It ran in a nearly vertical slant across the smooth skin of the bottom of his forearm, the tip just grazing his elbow and ending just under his wrist. The unknown Master had scared him witless. Obi-Wan scolded himself as he climbed into the shower. Next time he would have to be more aware of his surroundings. He snorted as he started the shower. If he did become a Jedi he'd probably get himself killed.

The hot water of the shower soothed Obi-Wan's aching muscles. His back relaxed under the steaming water and his shoulders visibly dropped a few inches. He was so tense nowadays, Bant was always telling him he needed to relax more. Obi-Wan wondered once again why he couldn't sleep. It had started when he was young - he had early memories of being in the Crèche and being the last to sleep and first to rise. Over the years it had just grown worse. But it had only been this year that he had taken up wondering the halls. Once he realized how fast it made the dull nights go he'd quickly become addicted.

Obi-Wan flexed his knees; satisfied to find the pain was reduced to a small ache. He twisted his stiff back and nodded. Much better.

He turned the shower off and stepped out, wrapping himself in his towel. Luck alone allowed Obi-Wan to see the glowing numbers of his clock from the corner of his eye. It was five minutes past the start of his first class. He'd been in the shower longer then he'd thought. Groaning he pulled on his tunics. Undoubtedly he would be assigned a mass of homework as punishment.

* * *

_Of Worries_

The early morning light illuminated the Jedi temple in a soft glow of gold. The hallways were abandoned of Initiates, making it seem eerily quiet after the noise of the class change. Knights and Masters alike wandered down the hallway at a leisurely pace, yawning and talking in soft tones.

Yet the laid back feeling of the Temple's mornings did not seem to calm Qui-Gon. He walked stiffly, his impassive air causing people to do double takes as they walked by. At his side was Master Mace Windu, technical leader and speaker of the Jedi Council. The famously strict Master himself was intimidating enough yet as he walked besides the fuming Qui-Gon he seemed the perpetual image of Jedi sensibilities, radiating calmness and docility.

The two Master's made their way silently to the nearest lift in silence. The doors slid open and the previous occupants, startled at the sight of the irritated maverick and Jedi leader, quickly stepped out of the lift, bowing deeply to the two prestigious Jedi. As the doors slid shut Qui-Gon found he could no longer keep his emotions in check.

"This is ridiculous, Mace." Qui-Gon growled quietly. "There was absolutely no reason to remove me from the mission."

The older Jedi only nodded, his expression similar to that of a parent waiting out a child's temper tantrum. "My friend-"

"I am a Jedi Master!" He interrupted harshly. "Not a child to be banished to my room!"

"The Jedi Temple is hardly a room, Qui-Gon. I would think that you of all people would wish to rest after your last mission." Qui-Gon crossed his arms, folding them so his hands slipped inside the sleeves, and decided to not even grace that ridiculous statement with a comment. While Mace claimed that his grounding was due to his need for non-combat time, they both knew the real reason. Yoda wanted him to be present to watch the Initiate fights.

"I am fine, Mace. Return me to the field."

"Qui-Gon," Mace chided, his voice taking a gentle tone to it. A large hand came to rest on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "You've been going from mission-to-mission since Xanatos-"

"Don't!" The Master's hand withdrew, surprised by the fury in his voice. Qui-Gon sighed when he heard it himself. "Don't say that name." He finished quietly.

By his side Mace was rubbing his hands together, the fingers of his right slowly dragging across the thumb joint of the left in a practiced movement. He had severely broken his left hand as a padawan and though it had healed completely it often ached. Qui-Gon also knew it served as a tell for the Council Member. Mace was thinking hard and the taller Jedi Master was sure whatever it was about he wasn't going to enjoy.

"It's only for a week or so Qui-Gon, until the Initiate matches."

"I will not take another apprentice."

Mace sent him a crippling glare and when Windu spoke again it was from his position and no longer as his friend.

"You will stay here, Qui-Gon. You have gathered a lot of anger and grief over losing him. I suggest you spend your time here meditating." He held up his hand to stop Qui-Gon from interrupting. "I will be the first to say that you have come far from that first day." Again Qui-Gon moved to speak but Mace's sharp tone silenced him as he spoke on. "But if you cannot learn to come to peace with what has happened I will ground you until you do so. You of all people know where those emotions lead you. I will not allow you to seethe in them until you lash out and cause harm – to yourself or otherwise."

The remark bit deeper than Mace could ever know as the face of the boy from last night flashed across the disgruntled Jedi Master's mind. Had he not done exactly what Mace had said? Lashed out in his own distress and placed it on the shoulders of an innocent child? He would try and calm his emotions; even Qui-Gon could admit that they were running amuck inside him.

But when he was here in the Temple he was surrounded by memories of his former padawan and Qui-Gon found himself at a loss of how to deal with it. Xanatos was certainly not the first padawan to leave the Order, but he was the first to…to…fall like that in a very, very long time. How could Mace possibly know what he was going through right now?

The lift halted its ascent upwards on one of the residential floors and the doors hissed open. Mace placed a brief hand once again to his shoulder before stepping out.

"Visit Master Yoda. I mean it, Qui-Gon." The doors slid shut to find him strolling away, leaving a freshly annoyed Qui-Gon in his wake. A visit to Yoda meant one thing. When would the ancient Master accept that he had no interest in taking a padawan?

The lift slowed to a stop again. When its doors opened again it revealed a half dressed Initiate. The Initiate stepped into the lift blindly as he hastily pulled on a undershirt over his bare chest. A muffled floor call escaped from behind the fabric as he pulled the shirt down and froze.

It was a draw to find who was more shocked, Qui-Gon or the boy.

He felt his mouth go dry as he recognized the Initiate from last night – or rather the very large bruise that had seemingly taken over his right forearm - and that terrible guilt reared it's head once more.

* * *

Obi-Wan doubted it was possible for the moment to get anymore awkward then it already was. The rest of his over robes laid still in his hands and Obi-Wan was keenly aware of the fact that he only half dressed. The unknown Master from the night before was simply staring at him and Obi-Wan felt himself begin to sweat under the intense glare. As the silence reigned on Obi-Wan forced himself to step to the opposite side of the lift and continue dressing. _Great,_ he thought bitterly as he pulled the last few layers on, _of course. Him of all people._

The lift shook slightly as it climbed towards the top most levels of the Jedi Temple. At this point Obi-Wan almost begged for the lift to reach the exercise floor and release him, even if it meant facing the wrath of his Master Instructor.

The silence unnerved him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to find the Master staring directly at the lift doors. Sensing his glance the unknown Master looked over at him. Quickly Obi-Wan stared ahead, fighting the urge to swallow under the Master's renewed stare. He could almost feel the force of his gaze burning into him. The unknown Master turned away and once again glared at the closed doors. The lift slowed and slid open at his floor and Obi-Wan quickly excused himself, turning to bow only once he was outside of the lift. As he rose he found intense grey eyes staring at him even as the doors slid shut.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but shuddered slightly as he trotted off to class. The soberness of the Master unnerved him. He felt as if the unknown Master was looking straight through him, had somehow seen every flaw that he had.

Those eyes haunted him throughout the day, making Obi-Wan more jumpy then normal and serving to irritate both his classmates and instructors alike. Night once again found him roaming the hallways. It was already late – later than Obi-Wan normally would have left for a walk. The words of the unknown Master had kept him inside, staring at the model starships that zipped about his ceiling in absolute boredom. But his habit was like a beast itself and would not be denied and before too long had passed Obi-Wan found himself creeping cautiously through deserted hallways.

The halls were silent as always, the only noise being the gentle hum from the power generators that penetrated everything. Obi-Wan walked down the center of the hallway, staring with some mild fascination the contrast his slippers made against the floor tile.

His birthday was in four weeks. That was something that haunted him again and again. No matter what he thought or did, in the back of his mind that fact was constantly screaming for attention. It was almost as if there was a digital clock counting down the minutes until the deadline in bold, neon numbers. More and more of his fellow age mates were being picked by Masters and disappearing off to start their duties.

_Not me,_ Obi-Wan thought bitterly, _maybe never me._ Obi-Wan often wondered what would happen to him if he was not chosen as a Padawan. He'd stay in the Order, he knew that at least. The young boy knew nothing else – the thought of starting out on a new path without its guiding hand seemed unreasonable. At least that's what he told himself.

Truth be told, Obi-Wan didn't have a clue what he would do if no Jedi claimed him. Finding his birth parents was an option. It wasn't one he had really thought out but it was one that kept resurfacing. He wondered how one would go about obtaining their birth records. Would his family even want him after all these years? What, a shudder ran down Obi-Wan's back, if his family was dead? Then he truly would be all alone in the universe. The Initiate sighed heavily and let his footsteps fall even slower, his hand once again finding its way to the nearest wall and dragging across it.

The fact that his birthday was as close as it was seemed unreal to him. His thirteenth birthday always seemed mythical – a goal that was far off in the distance. How quickly it seemed to overtake him.

He would miss his friends so much, but more than that he would just miss the presence of the Jedi. That was what Obi-Wan was aware of the most. They were his family. He didn't have a single memory in it without a Jedi foster parent or sibling in it. They taught him everything; they'd taught him how to be Obi-Wan. The idea of being denied their comforting presence and guiding strength - to be told in not so subtle terms he wasn't good enough to stay in their immediate family - would be disastrous.

Obi-Wan forced himself to swallow against the lump that had formed in his throat. He had to be picked as an apprentice. He just had to be. His whole life had been building up to this point. He couldn't fail now.

"Well, what have we here?" Laughter filled the hall behind him as Obi-Wan all but jumped out of his skin. He spun around to find two cheery looking Knights. "Isn't it a bit late for an Initiate?"

"Uh…" Force! This was the second day he'd been caught. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning. The two burst into laughter at his response and Obi-Wan came to the startling realization that they were drunk. The smell of some kind of liquor permeated the area around them. The Human Knight who had spoken chuckled and wrapped an arm around the smaller, yet equally inebriated Twi'lek Knight. The Twi'lek at his side snorted and waved a blue hand at him.

"Listen, listen!" She gestured for him to come forward. Not quite sure what to do, but ever the obedient child, Obi-Wan did. She gripped his shoulder and leaned in real close. The act seemed to throw off her balance and she began to fall forward.

"Whoa there buddy!" The Human Knight shouted, pulling her backwards.

"You're the best pal in the world man! No, no!" The Twi'lek did her best to look serious, "I mean that!" She giggled and patted his cheek. Without warning they fell over, the Human Knight taking the Twi'lek with him, their laughter reaching a ridiculous level. Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably in front of the drunken Knights, not quite sure what he was supposed to do. A part of his mind was embarrassed for them as they rolled on the ground. Another wondered if Knights were allowed to get drunk.

"Listen, kid." The Human Knight gestured to him from the ground. "I don't know if you've noticed, but my friend and I have had a teensy weensy too much to drink tonight."

"Maybe just a little." The Twi'lek at his side agreed solemnly. They pulled themselves into a standing position. The Human Knight gestured to him as they swayed.

"Like I was saying kiddo, do us a favor and not tell nobody 'bought this, eh?" Not waiting for his response the two Knights stumbled off and turned down a corridor. Obi-Wan shook his head as he watched them disappear.

The things he saw sometimes.

Perhaps he ought to call it a night. Obi-Wan watched the lights outside of the lift as it descended, allowing his mind to drift into a strange, empty trance. Instinctively his feet turned and traced their way back to his quarters. He palmed his door open and kicked his slippers off, climbing into bed. Obi-Wan stared at the ceiling, his thoughts still failing to take shape. It was in this mock sleep that he passed the rest of the night.

* * *

Obi-Wan rose as the morning light cycle begun and his room began to fill with a gentle yellow-white light. He turned and made his bed, crisping it so that each side was even and the fabric unwrinkled.

Another night without sleep. Obi-Wan didn't even want to think about how many days in a row that was. Usually he managed at least an hour or two. Obi-Wan shook his head as he stripped and quickly showered. He left his room an hour before classes started – he had no intentions of being late today.

The hallways were mostly empty in the Initiate residential section. Obi-Wan stretched as he walked, thinking about the lessons ahead. Today was a rather light day for him, and besides his political science class he rather enjoyed the day's class schedule. The cafeteria was near deserted; a few students ate in small huddled groups. Obi-Wan's own friends knew well enough not expect him in the mornings. While they had no idea of his inability to sleep or his nightly walks they knew he was an early riser.

He grabbed a few slices of toast and some eclectic looking fruit and headed out of the cafeteria. Just across the hall and a few corridors to the left was an excellent place to watch the morning shipping lanes. Obi-Wan enjoyed observing the traffic as it flew just outside the Temple's air space.

With little effort he squeezed into his favorite spot to eat, a small corner boxed in on three sides by the wall, window and an oversized potted plant. He found here he could eat in peace and quiet yet still hear the sounds of the cafeteria. It was a transition time for him. Obi-Wan found that the noise of the morning class change extra jarring after the quiet of the night. Here he could give himself time to adjust to the different sounds before being forced to be social.

The morning seemed to go quick enough. His Political Science class passed quicker than normally, mainly because they spent the period watching the holonet news channels. His next class was Advanced Meditation Thoughts, Theories, and Practices. It was a daily two hour class offered to children over ten, consisting solely of learning the proper way to meditate and center yourself so the Force could easiest flow through them. It was a very peaceful class, held in a small classroom with three out of the four walls covered with fountains. The soft sound of the water was what Obi-Wan liked the most about the class. He found the white noise very soothing.

Most of his classmates enjoyed it because it was a good nap time.

For Obi-Wan that wasn't really a choice. But nevertheless he liked the class, it was a good time to relax and center himself for the back to back saber practices he had scheduled afterwards. His Master Instructor was already in position, her Force signature humming in tune, emitting from her in clam, gentle waves. A few of his classmates had followed suite, their signatures humming a little more out of tune then Master Instructor Merit's.

Quietly Obi-Wan slid into his favorite spot, emptying his mind and following his class into the gentle arms of the Force. He had only been drifting – slang the Initiates used to describe the free feeling that came with meditation without a goal – for a few minutes before he felt the soft, heavily accented voice of his teacher brush across his ear.

"Now ya know better than ta slouch like that, Obi-Wan." Instructor Merit's hands pushed his body into proper form and moved on. "Today, my younglings, we're going ta do another wonderful one of my olden Master's exercises."

A series of groans and shifting clothing filled the air as the students shuffled around. Obi-Wan joined in with a sigh. Master Instructor Merit's 'olden Master' exercises were really hard and left him with a migraine that could take down banthas.

"Ah shut ya traps!" Merit snapped. "It'll be fun."

"I highly doubt that." A student whispered from the back of the room. Obi-Wan fought a snigger as the student let out a whine as Merit tapped him lightly with the Force.

"Do ya want ta teach the class, Culil? Than shut ya trap." There was a flapping sound and a thump as Merit fell back into her meditation pose. "Follow my directions exactly. This exercise is called 'Find the Kuki Fruit'. I'm going ta plant the image of a Kuki fruit in ya minds. I want ya all ta locate the Kuki and tell me where it was. The purpose of this exercise is ta practice retrieving data from the mind. As always, the spot has been picked out of a head of time. So ya can stop squirming, I'm not going ta see anything secret."

There was a few chuckles from the students. Obi-Wan nodded, fighting to hide his irritation. He had been hoping of a simple meditation day. They were sparring in saber and Obi-Wan wanted enough time to prepare. He'd have to find the Kuki quickly so he could move on. Master Instructor Merit circled the room, gently brushing her hand against the heads of her students as she went, the image of the Kuki fruit flowing from her fingers like water.

Obi-Wan got a fleeting glimpse of the orange thing before it seemingly erased itself. He sighed as he did a general scan. Where ever she'd hidden it, she'd done it far down. Obi-Wan let the tenseness of his irritation leave him and concentrated on locating the Kuki fruit.

He shuffled through his memories as Instructor Merit taught him. Minutes flew by and then an hour and Obi-Wan still hadn't found it yet. He stamped down the growing dislike for this exercise and chewed on the dried skin on his bottom lip. She must have really hidden it far. Pulling the Force even further into his mind, Obi-Wan envisioned it as a probe, pushing the levels of his mind aside like giant waves of fabric. As it deviled deeper and deeper he simply allowed himself to fall down after it.

"I found it!" The shout of triumph jolted Obi-Wan out of his meditation immediately and he looked around the room, blinking at the seemingly bright light. Fillip, the youngest in the room at ten, was practically dancing on his mat.

"Quiet now!" Instructor Merit hissed, gesturing for her startled students to return to their mediation. With a sigh Obi-Wan returned to his mind, quieting and allowing himself to fall back in step with his previous thoughts.

Again he was surrounded with the depths of his mind and with a moment of uneasiness Obi-Wan realized he'd never been this deep before. Almost on queue he felt a strange stirring, almost like a stretch, and he felt his throat contract as he quickly pulled himself out of the meditation.

He stared at the water rushing down the walls in confusion, fighting a growing feeling of dread.

_What was that?_

* * *

A definite change in the story this first chapter. A much, a much different meeting between the two than is found in the first version of this story. I am eager to find what you think about it. As always, any type of constructive criticism is welcome – I learned most of my English grammar through the kind reviewers. I will hopefully have not only the second rewritten chapter of Sleepless up tonight or tomorrow but also my next UA chapter.


	2. Of Moments of Insanity and Fears

I'm glad you guys like the rewritten first chapter!

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 2**

_Of Moments of Insanity_

Obi-Wan walked the hallways, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He'd only gone a little bit before the nervousness had kicked in. This feeling that he wasn't alone – that someone was watching him, following him somehow. His feet carried him by a group of Knights; Obi-Wan didn't bother acknowledging them, not even when they broke into whispers behind him. As he stepped into the lift and turned he was surprise to find the group gawking at him.

Perhaps he should have bowed?

The doors slid shut and the lift took off, quickly taking him towards the safety of his room. He didn't know why he thought he'd be safe in his quarters but he did. Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably as the feeling lingered.

Force! It made no sense! He was clearly not being followed, yet still-

Obi-Wan let out a hiss of breath as a flash of black streaked across the windows of the lift. He jerked away from the glass side and stared at it, eyes wide. The only thing he saw was the mixture of his reflection and the side of the Temple. As the doors to the lift open Obi-Wan swiftly made his way to his room. He locked the door behind him and nearly collapsed against it. The Initiate ran his hands through his hair, finger nails scraping across his scalp. He clasped them together and rested them on top of his head, pressing his neck against the coolness of the door.

Maybe it was all the stress? He closed his eyes and tried to center himself. After some work Obi-Wan managed to release his feelings of anxiousness into the Force…only to let out a pitiful groan when he realized the feeling did not follow them.

"What is wrong with me?" Obi-Wan growled impatiently, bringing his hands to rub his eyes. Ever since the meditation exercise earlier he'd just felt like there was someone constantly breathing down his neck. Watching everything Obi-Wan did – stalking him. He groaned and banged the back of his head against the door. "I'm losing my mind!"

'I wouldn't say that.' Obi-Wan's body flattened itself against the door at the sound of the voice, his hands flying from his eyes to his lightsaber, shakily holding the ignited blade in front of himself. But there was no one there. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and threw himself onto the bed. He spent the rest of the night with his face buried in his pillow.

What was wrong with him?

The next day classes flew by in a blur. Vaguely Obi-Wan recalled at some point his friends worrying over him. He'd given them some ridiculous lie before escaping to his next class. Other than that he'd been left alone. At least he thought he was alone. The feeling had yet to leave him. If anything, it had grown stronger. The presence seemed more pronounced. Obi-Wan skipped dinner entirely and sat in his room, staring at the same data pad about Yuili Yuili the Jedi philosopher, pretending (and failing) that everything was fine until night fell. Than he had fled the room.

If the feeling of being watched wasn't bad enough in the open, Obi-Wan had discovered it was suffocating in small areas. It was as if he could feel the other presence standing behind him, watching everything he did. Obi-Wan was seriously beginning to consider the idea that he was actually going crazy.

His feat carried him down the hallways with a will of their own. He tried not to think about anything but Obi-Wan's mind kept returning to the feeling that surrounded him.

They said that if you were crazy, you couldn't know you were crazy. Yet Obi-Wan was pretty sure he was losing it. The feeling was literally everywhere. He'd even skipped his shower today. And that voice…it was a male's voice. Completely unlike Obi-Wan's own – he could have sworn a man was in his room with him. Obi-Wan let out a frustrated puff of breath before deterring into a small vending area. He stared at the brightly lit machines, wishing he had brought his ID card with him. Something hot sounded good.

* * *

Qui-Gon made his way towards his quarters, trying to restrain his frustration with Mace. The negotiations were failing. The negotiations he was supposed to be at. Not that Qui-Gon didn't believe Master Rewi couldn't handle the situation. That wasn't it at all. It was just that Master Rewi was rather young and inexperienced. The Master glowered as he walked. Yoda and Mace would pay for grounding him like this. He wasn't quite sure how yet, but they would. Movement to his left caught his attention and Qui-Gon's steps slowed to a stop.

The Initiate from before stood in a small eating area, staring at the drink vending machine with a look of lamentation.

"Do you ever sleep, Initiate?" The boy stiffened and Qui-Gon winced. That had come out harsher then he meant it to.

"Yes." The boy answered after a moment. The lie was blatantly obvious in his voice and Qui-Gon looked at him with hooded surprise. A blush rose up the boy's neck and cheeks, stormy blue-grey eyes flickering to down to stare at the tiled floor. Qui-Gon slipped his card into the vending machine and ordered a tea. Sending the Initiate a short glance he quickly made the order for two.

"Do you take cream or sugar?" The boy looked at him confusion. "In your tea."

There was a long pause and then, "Just cream."

The doors of the machine opened and Qui-Gon picked up the teas. He handed the lighter one to the boy. He took it hesitantly and then muttered a thank you. An amused eyebrow rose as the Initiate downed half of the cup in one gulp, clearly wincing as the heat of the liquid went down. A content sigh escaped the boy and Qui-Gon felt the edges of his lips turn up in a smile.

"Feel better?" The boy looked up in surprise, as if he'd forgotten Qui-Gon was there. He licked his lips quickly before nodding. "What's your name?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

And with that, the Initiate that had hounded his thoughts had a name. Qui-Gon rolled the name over in his mind, slightly surprise when he realized he'd heard it somewhere before. Most likely at one of the Initiate fights but still, he'd ask Mace about him in the morning.

"Hello Obi-Wan, my name is Qui-Gon Jinn. And I owe you an apology." That certainly caught the boy off guard.

"…you do?"

"Yes. I do." The Master sighed gesturing towards the sitting area. He made his way towards an overstuffed chair and sat down, waiting until Obi-Wan followed his example to continue on. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did with you that night on the balcony. I…was upset about something else and I took my anger out on you. It was unfair of me. And I caused you harm. That is totally unacceptable."

Obi-Wan frowned and glanced down to the bruise easily displayed by his night shirt. It was an ugly, angry bluish-brown color, physical proof of his lasp in control. It had haunted Qui-Gon from the moment he had first seen it. The boy returned to his study of his tea and Qui-Gon watched in mild fascination as the Initiate's faced transformed, his lips taking a sharp frown as his brows furled. The expression somehow made Obi-Wan looked both older and younger simultaneously, narrowed eyes seemingly staring through the cup in his hands and beyond it.

_I'm being forgotten again, _the Master noted with no small amount of curiosity, _what could he possibly be thinking about?_

* * *

The tea was welcome warmth to Obi-Wan's icy hands. The temple hallways were always chilly but at night it was doubly so. A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold ran down his spine as he fought to ignore his instincts. They were proving untrustworthy. They would lead him to believe that at this moment someone was standing directly behind him yet the reflection in the window clearly showed that no one was there.

…was he mad? Obi-Wan decided he had to be. What should he do? What could he do? If he told anyone what would happen to him?

The sound of the Master's deep voice brought him out of his thoughts. The Initiate blinked and found with no small amount of alarm that the Master watching him with that unnerving intensiveness again.

"I'm sorry, what?" Obi-Wan asked, nearly slapping himself at how dumb he must sound. It seemed that the Master was always there to encounter him at his worst moments. Qui-Gon frowned and repeated his question.

"Do you accept my apology?"

Obi-Wan stared at him surprise for a long moment, still taken aback by the fact that he wasn't getting scolded again and nodded before dropping his gaze to the cup in his hand, watching the small tea leaf particles float around in the murky brown liquid. He wondered when he could leave without seeming rude.

He looked up at the Jedi Master and froze, the tea flying from his hands. Some part of him registered Qui-Gon's hand flashing out and catching the cup before it could spill much, but Obi-Wan was far to captivated by the reflection in the window behind the Master. A black haired man stood behind him, his hands resting on the back as he leaned forward. Obi-Wan blinked and he was gone.

"-Wan?" Shaking himself slightly he tore his glaze from the window and found Qui-Gon staring at him worriedly. Blushing heavily now Obi-Wan took the tea from the Master and apologized quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I just got a little dizzy; I guess I'm just really tired." The look in the Master's eyes sharpened and Obi-Wan fought the urge to shrink back at the pure intimidation that seemingly radiated from the man. Clearly, Qui-Gon Jinn was not a man who tolerated being lied to.

"You do seem to enjoy late hours." The Jedi Master's words were slightly clipped. "Have you always been so night oriented?"

"Ever since I was a child." Obi-Wan answered truthfully; glad he did not need to lie further. He sighed and shifted the cup in his hands. "Some of my earliest memories of the Temple are of being awake in my bed in the Crèche. I just can't sleep."

Qui-Gon made a humming sound in the back of his throat before taking another sip of his tea. He placed the cup down on a side table before continuing his questioning. "Is that why you wander the hallways?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Better than sitting in my room with nothing to do. Besides, sometimes it makes me tired." Well, that was a half-truth. Rarely did the Initiate ever feel the need to sleep any more.

He shook his head after a moment. This night was proving to be more and more unbelievable as it went on. Here he was, explaining his sleeping habits to the very Master he had been trying to avoid for the past few days. His eyes found the small pool of tea that spilled from his cup and silently cursed.

Would he ever manage to not look like a fool in front of Qui-Gon Jinn?

'Aw, don't be so hard on yourself.'

Obi-Wan couldn't stop the strangled sound that escaped his throat. He stood quickly, spilling more tea as he did. Qui-Gon was watching him intently again.

_Oh Force. He knows! He knows something's wrong!_ Panic erupted inside him and Obi-Wan edged around the chair. He couldn't know! Obi-Wan refused to let him know.

'Relax.'

"I should go." Obi-Wan croaked out and he nearly bolted for the hallway, thoughts whirling with panic and fear. He had almost reached it when Qui-Gon's voice called him to a halt.

"Obi-Wan," Slowly, the Initiate forced himself to glance back. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, Master Jinn."

'Liar.'

Obi-Wan nearly stumbled again as the voice echoed through his head but he saved himself and strode determinedly out of eyesight.

If he was going to lose his mind, it wasn't going to be in front of Qui-Gon Jinn.

* * *

_Of Fear_

"Obi-Wan Kenobi? Why the sudden interest in an Initiate?" Mace asked as they took a morning stroll through the Temple hallways. Qui-Gon shot him a irritated look, not enjoying the smug look on the other Master's face, but he refused to even acknowledge what the dark skinned man was hinting at. There were not enough words to properly phrase how badly he did not want to traverse down that particular pathway of conversation.

"Mace," He said darkly, "I came for information, not to be gloated at."

"I'm sorry my friend, truly." Mace rested a gentle hand on his back. "It's just curious that you would inquire about that particular Initiate. You see, we've just recently begun reviewing his file."

Qui-Gon felt his eyebrows rise in surprise. The boy was under review? What could he have possibly done to require a full Council review? "What has he done?"

"Nothing like what you're thinking, Qui-Gon. It's simply because of his reputation." At the other Master's blank look Mace sighed. "Qui-Gon, this is why it is important for you to spend more time in the Temple. You have got be the only one who hasn't even at least heard about it. It first started almost a year ago. Reports starting coming in about seeing a human male Initiate roaming the halls at night. Since then he has gathered quite a myth, they've even given him a name: The Sleepless One."

Qui-Gon snorted. "What a ridiculous name."

"I know." Mace said in soft agreement, nodding to a few groups of free standing Jedi as they passed them, "You can blame Knight Hil'lk for the name and most of the rumor mill around it though. You know him, such an imaginative lad."

"Mm," Qui-Gon did indeed know the young Twi'lek Knight; he'd even had the displeasure of working a few missions with him. "Imaginative wouldn't be quite the word I'd choose to describe him." Next to him, Mace shrugged a small smile on his lips. "Kenobi is popular, then?"

"Well, I suppose you could call it that. I doubt Obi-Wan is even aware of the hold he has over the upper Jedi. The fact that he usually avoids anyone else out at night only adds to his appeal." Mace snorted. "Some of the younger Padawans believe he's a ghost."

"How did you find out who he was?"

"We started reviewing the security vids. For the last four months he's been out every night, almost to dawn."

Qui-Gon frowned. The boy wasn't kidding when he said he hardly ever slept. The look on the Initiate's face as he dropped the tea flashed through his mind and Qui-Gon suddenly found himself angry on his behalf. "You've known this for a year and you're just now acting?"

Mace threw him an annoyed look at his accusatory tone.

"In case you've forgotten, Qui-Gon, the Jedi Council runs the entire Order. We are quite busy." An irritated silence fell between the two friends as they walked. After a moment Mace let out a sigh. "If you're still interested, we've found nothing out of the ordinary in his files. Average student; excels in languages and histories, a bit behind in mathematics and political science. With the exception of being bumped up to Saber III class, Obi-Wan's right where he should be for his age group."

He waited for Mace to continue but the Council Member sighed before coming to a stop. He nodded towards one of the many windows that over looked a garden courtyard and Qui-Gon stepped forward so he could get a better view. It took him on a few seconds to pick Obi-Wan out of the line of bodies, his body moving through the martial form with practiced ease.

"That's it, Qui-Gon. Besides a few minor discipline issues here and there, nothing out of the ordinary at all. Frankly, we're stumped."

Qui-Gon gave his friend an incredulous stare for a moment, then; "Have you tried asking him?"

"Master Yoda wants to wait until the time is right. You know he's going to be very pleased when I tell him you inquired about Obi-Wan."

Qui-Gon fought the urge to smack his friend, aware that the Master Instructor from the class below was watching them intently. Mace waved at her cheerfully before leading them on.

He was never going to hear the end of this.

* * *

The shower was hot and it felt wonderful. Obi-Wan had fought the urge to for as long as he could, but after the Forms class he needed a shower. The odor of a twelve year old boy could be a powerful thing and he had no desire to be called 'Stinky-Wan' ever again. Yet even now Obi-Wan was aware of the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him. He wanted to dally under the hot water for a longer period, but the ever present eyes kicked his modestly in drive and he cut it short.

Obi-Wan froze as he stepped out of the shower. There on the ground, spread out like a human body, were his clothes. Obi-Wan fought to control the fear that had erupted in his chest at the sight and side stepped the clothes, quickly exiting the room. He was barely dry as he threw a new set of clothes on and fled. He stood in the lift, shaking from both the cold and fear. He hadn't remembered putting his clothes like that. No, no. He _knew_ he hadn't put his clothes like that. Obi-Wan felt a hard lump develop in his throat.

Without warning the lift buttons erupted into color, blinking random and forming strange patterns. Obi-Wan stood stock still, staring at the blinking buttons, literally feeling the blood leave his face. Slowly he closed his eyes and made himself count to ten. When he opened them again, the only button illuminated was the one he had pressed.

Obi-Wan had to force himself to look away from the consul and step from the lift as it came to a halt. He was vaguely aware that he was shaking. There existed this constant fear, just on the verge of his mind. No matter how many times Obi-Wan tried to do the calming exercises he was taught, it always remained there, growing as each new strange thing happened.

Obi-Wan's feet took him on a path that was only vaguely familiar to him and before he knew it, he had found his way back to the Master's wing. He passed the vending area from the night before and Obi-Wan knew he had to go, least he encounter Master Jinn again. Yet he couldn't bring himself to turn around. He was afraid to stop moving forward, as if by looking behind him he'd come face to face with his discomfort. He forced himself to stop walking. He had to leave this place before he got into trouble. Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut as he made himself turn around.

_This is crazy!_

"Open your eyes." Obi-Wan commanded himself. Yet he made no effort to do so. Obi-Wan tried again. "Open your eyes, this is stupid."

Obi-Wan utterly froze, every muscle in his body locking as the Initiate was suddenly aware that something was standing in front of him. He could feel hot breath on his face, smelling slightly of some sort of spice. He could even feel the heat radiating off the body in front of him. Obi-Wan let out a muted gasp as he felt something grab his hand and in shock his eyes flew open.

He found himself staring at a blue tunic, decorated with silver inlays. Slowly, Obi-Wan brought his eyes to his hand. It was clasp in the grip of a much larger, tan one. A hand that he could see through.

'My, you are a flighty one aren't you?'

The unadulterated terror Obi-Wan felt at that moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He stared at the iridescent hand, unable to do anything else, as his mind erupted into full blown panic. What was happening to him? He'd gone so mad he was hallucinating! No, no, no! Obi-Wan shook his head as an even greater fear filled him. He wasn't going mad, no this was all real! The world spun around him violently and Obi-Wan could feel himself swaying.

'Idiot! Breathe!' The voice hissed. Obi-Wan stumbled back a few feet, his hands flaying about in an attempt to find the wall. No sooner had he found it, it disappeared and the world tilted dangerously. Suddenly strong hands were supporting him and a much more commanding voice filled his ears.

"-eathe, Obi-Wan! Breathe!"

As if some spell had been broken he could feel himself breathing greedily. Almost instantly the presence of the cool oxygen righted the world and Obi-Wan could literally feel his senses coming back to him. The worried face of Qui-Gon Jinn swum into view. But he wasn't alone. No, standing behind the Jedi Master stood a tall, irritated looking man. He leaned down and Obi-Wan heard himself croak in fear as the man passed through Qui-Gon and they came face to face.

'What did you think you were playing at, kid?'

* * *

Qui-Gon stared nervously at the pale boy in front of him. The boy was breathing again - thank the Force - though they were short, shallow takes. From his grip on his arms, Qui-Gon could feel the fine tremors that rocked Obi-Wan's body.

Powerful relief struck him that he had decided not to go back to bed. Qui-Gon didn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't sensed the Initiate's presence at the door. It was pure luck that he was awake in the first place. He had awoken with a powerful craving for tea and as he made it, Qui-Gon became aware of a seemingly stationary Force signature in front of his door. Vaguely recognizing the signature and curious of who could be standing at his door for so long at such a late hour he'd open it. Imagine his shock when Obi-Wan collapsed into his home.

But why he had not been breathing was beyond him. What was evident was that Obi-Wan was completely terrified. Of what, Qui-Gon had no idea. To his horror, the boy stiffened in his arms and then went limp, his eyes sliding shut. For a moment the Master struggled with the sudden dead weight and awkward hold, before hefting the boy up into his arms. Qui-Gon stormed to the nearest lift, declaring an emergency lift straight to the Healing wards – no stops whatsoever.

What could have possibly scared him so?

* * *

…And the plot thickens. What do you think?


	3. Of Dreams and Connections

And because I know I'm going to hear this at some point: **This is not a slash story**. Ain't got nothing against slash, I love slash. I'm just a sucky writer of it. This is just an exploration of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's characters in this situation.

**Yami** – A crèche is a French word meaning 'infant bed'. In English it means a day care center. It's often used in Star Wars books and fanfictions to refer to the group residence of the Jedi younglings. This group is further developed into different clans. Each clan contains children of the same age group. For instance, Obi-Wan is a member of the Wolf Clan. The Bear Clan is another famous clan used a lot.

**The Dancing Cavalier** – …flattery with get you everywhere.

I know, I know. Your disbelief is tangible. Updating in less then two months, clearly, hell has frozen over. Enjoy.

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 3**

_Of Dreams_

"Can you remember anything else, Master Jinn?"

"No." Qui-Gon shoved down his irritation as he answered the question for a third time. His gaze trailed from the slightly age bent form of Master Healer Iilo Uri to the viewing window. Tubes and wires were hooked up to the boy, making him look like a bizarre science project gone wrong.

A soft beeping sounding from inside sent the old Master waddling into the room, reaching across the bed as he examined the display read outs. Qui-Gon found his feet following the Master Healer. A soft groan escaped the boy and he shifted in the bed. Against the drab, grey sheets the Initiate's pallor seemed more pronounced, the dark circles under his eyes stronger. With the emotions of everyday removed, the blank face of Obi-Wan Kenobi suddenly seemed both very young and very worn. Something twisted inside Qui-Gon.

He wasn't old enough to look like that.

"What do you think is wrong?" His voice was hushed even though he doubted Obi-Wan was capable of hearing him.

"Well," Uri clasped his hands behind his back in thought, "Extreme sleep deprivation to start with. Sleep is vital to allowing the human brain to function correctly. When the brain is deprived of sleep for a long period of times it takes actions to preserve its functionality. It undergoes 'micro-sleep,' a few seconds of REM sleep that takes place even when the eyes are open. Basically napping while you're awake. This often leads to hallucinations - in a sense, it can't tell between a dream and the real world is."

"So the way he reacted before he fainted-"

"Most likely. It is incredibly rare that a human died from lack of sleep alone, Master Jinn, the body simply won't allow that to happen. This coma like sleep is its way of taking manual control, insisting that he sleeps. Hopefully Obi-Wan should stay out until his body's has replenished its energy supply. However," Uri looked at Qui-Gon doubtfully from the corner of him eye for a second before continuing, "It has taken a surprising long time for him to get this point. I expected this to happen months ago."

Qui-Gon shot him a sharp look.

"What, Master Jinn? Did you think I would simply ignore the existence of 'one who never sleeps?' Even if the Council was far too busy to wet their hands with it I am personally charged with the health and well-being of every being that resides in the Temple. Of course I looked into it."

"You didn't seem to have helped." Qui-Gon replied dryly. Uri ignored the comment.

"When I saw him he was still getting three hours a sleep a night at least. I assigned him sleeping pills. Obi-Wan refilled the prescription on time each month. I had assumed he had been taking them. This type of damage is extensive – his vitals show that he has been without sleep for days, weeks even. He shouldn't have been able to last this long. Frankly, I've never seen anything like this in a human before."

The Master Healer froze and frowned, staring down at the sleeping boy.

As the silence stretched, Qui-Gon frowned. "What's wrong?"

"He's dreaming."

"And?"

"He shouldn't be."

There was a soft gasp of air followed by an increase humming from the machines. Qui-Gon glanced at the boy nervously as the machine mounted on the headboard behind him erupted into action. Obi-Wan's fists curled against the fabric of the bed sheet, straining the fabric as his body shuddered. Underneath his lids eyes were moving rapidly, his eyebrows twitching randomly. The Master Healer ran his hand across the boy's eyes, closing his own. The Force filled the room and streamed through Uri's hand, carrying his will into the sleeping boy. Still, the Initiate did not calm.

* * *

Her lips fascinated him. Tradition dictated they be painted an odd, velvety blue color and she wore it well. They stretched and pulled themselves into strange shapes as she screamed. And she was screaming – begging really – for him.

He couldn't hear her words over the roar but he knew.

Her white and blue clad figure stuck out against the red of the earth. Her hands gripped and re-gripped at his shirt, unable to get a firm hold of the slick leather. Wide, frightened eyes stared up at him. A gloved hand reached out and wiped the tear from her face, leaving a maroon trail in its wake.

His touch seemed to instantly sooth her and her painted face took an appearance of calm. It was short lived. Her eyes widened to a seemingly impossible size as he stepped away from her, raising a hand in farewell as the ground gave out beneath her.

The love of the foolish was a valuable tool.

* * *

"Be calm, Obi-Wan, sleep." The Master Healer's voice was embroidered with the Force, but still the boy fretted. An unnamable feeling had clasped Qui-Gon's heart as he watched the thick trail of blood that escaped from the boy's nose. It pooled on the pillow for a moment before sinking into the fabric.

Uri cursed in his home language as he slid opened Obi-Wan's eye lids. "Padawan, the sedative!"

Almost instantly a lankly teenager stumbled into the room, a tray of injectors in his hand. "I didn't know which one you wanted, Master-"

Without answering Uri grabbed one seemingly at random and prepped it.

* * *

The yellow sky stretched out as far as the eye could see, contrasting easily with the red earth that showed easily through the grey prairie grass. Obi-Wan stared in fascination as his own arms shot out, seemingly without his consent. They were pudgy little things and his hands were small enough to be dwarfed by the flower that it had pulled from the ground. He stared down at the thing, completely absorbed in it in the way that only a child could. The petals were simple white ovals with a brilliant blue center. In his hands the flower began to spin. Slowly at first, then quicker and quicker. Memorized by the white disc Obi-Wan found himself unable to look away.

Suddenly the flower stopped its spinning and in a very anti-climactic moment dropped its leaves. Obi-Wan could feel his lips forming a pout and tears come to his eyes at the unjustness of it all. He looked up at his caretaker. She stood over him, quieting him. The woman knelt next to him and Obi-Wan held his arms up expectantly.

The trust he felt for her radiated off him in waves. He didn't think she was his mother, but she had been with him for almost as long. She represented warmth and food and love. His confusion was overwhelming when her rough hands pushed him down again. Obi-Wan felt tears, large and thick, trail down his cheeks as he stared up at his caretaker.

She spoke something, but Obi-Wan found that he could not understand her. But he did understand the feelings in her voice. He found his little body quivering with fear. His caretaker pulled a long, silver spike from the baby pouch at her side. Obi-Wan gasped as he felt the cold tip of it press into his skin over his heart. His caretaker spoke again, this time Obi-Wan did understand her.

"Forgive me, my Lord."

And then she was still. Something thick and warm splashed against his face, surprising him into silence. The spike rested harmlessly against his small chest before rolling to the side. He watched with curiosity as a red stain spread across the front of her dress. It was small at first but quickly grew to cover her entire front.

Without warning she was yanked backwards and Obi-Wan began to wail again as her screams lit up the air.

* * *

The moment the cold steel of the injector touched his skin Obi-Wan shrank away from it. Master Healer Uri murmured softly to him, his hand stroking the boy's hair as he pressed the injector against his neck again. A soft hiss filled the air as the pale liquid was released. Almost instantly the boy stilled.

Uri was still muttering calming nothings as he cleaned the blood from the pale face. The dark scarlet color smeared at the action and Qui-Gon found himself unable to look away from the dramatic contrast of scarlet against white. A second swipe of the newly wetted cloth broke the spell and Qui-Gon followed the path of the cloth as it removed the sheen of sweat that covered the boy's face.

Both man watched the now peaceful Obi-Wan. Uri clicked his tongue, arms crossed as he thought. "I have to admit, this is puzzling me."

Qui-Gon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Besides the suspect timing of a bloody nose?" The aging Healer said dryly and then shook his head. "Something about this sleep I just don't like."

Before Qui-Gon could continue his thought, there was a gentle knock from behind. To Qui-Gon's surprise he found Mace Windu and his former apprentice, Depa Billaba, standing quietly in the doorway.

"Hello Iilo…Qui-Gon." Depa's characteristic soft voice carried a warmer note then usual as she regarded the rogue Master's presence. Qui-Gon tried not to get irritated as a smirk climbed its way across Mace's face. Not for the first time the tall Master was aware that he was being talked about via the partially severed link between the two. "We heard from one of the apprentices that Kenobi had collapsed."

"Is this Council business?" Uri asked as he wiped his hands on his smock. Qui-Gon's eyebrows raised slightly at the mix of hope and consternation in the Healer's voice. Mace shook his head.

"We're here as a request of Master Yoda."

Uri snorted. "You're a terrible liar, Mace, always have been."

"It's true, Master." Depa said with a breathy laugh, the soft chuckle rippling across her shoulders. Mace chose to ignore the remarks.

"Truly though, this visit here is unofficial." He held up his hands in a sign of peace as the Master Healer and Qui-Gon exchange looks of disbelief. "Though I must admit, I am shocked to see you here, Qui-Gon."

"Master Jinn was the one who brought the Initiate in." Uri explained as he handed Mace the boy's charts.

"And his current condition?" Uri's explanation to Mace was lost to him as he watched Depa moved to the boy's side, laying her palm against his chest. Her eyes drifted close and the Force flickered around her. Qui-Gon watched in mild interest. Master Billaba was well known for her ability to hone the Force into a formidable fact gathering machine. Obi-Wan shifted slightly and a troubled look flashed momentarily across his face. Depa's hand rested on his forehead and she let out a soft humming. Instantly the look was gone.

"That's what I mean." The Master Healers said crossly from his left. "For that state of exhaustion, nevertheless the fact that I have him sedated, he shouldn't be aware of anything."

"You have him sedated?"

"Mmhm. He needs to sleep." Uri looked at Depa suspiciously. "What do you feel, Depa?"

"Oh? Just unrest." Depa answered softly, pulling away from the unconscious boy. Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. It was obvious that the young Master has inherited her Master's poor lying talent.

"Fine." The Master Healer's lips formed a thin line. "If you're not here on official business, then I'm throwing you out. All of you."

The tall Master glanced at the still boy one last time before allowing himself to be herded out of the room. The three Masters made an impressive trio as they strode down the Temple hallways and Qui-Gon watched with mild amusement as the crowds parted before them.

"Master Yoda will be pleased to find you so worried about Initiate Kenobi." Depa said softly, her voice caring a slight hint of amusement as Mace hummed in agreement by her side.

Qui-Gon let out a sigh before bring his hand to his forehead, rubbing it with strong circles. The boy had collapsed into his apartment, of course he was worried. He wasn't inhuman for Force's sake.

"I'm going back to bed."

"Don't worry about him, Master Jinn. Master Healer Uri will take good care of him." Mace shouted after him. Qui-Gon's hand twitched as he walked. He just knew he was going to be called into a personal conference with a certain tiny troll.

* * *

He was awake. Oh Force, he was _awake._

Obi-Wan tried not to panic as his mind struggled against the physical cage that held him still. This was a thousand times worse than the night he had tried the sleeping pill. At least then he could keep his eyes open and count the dots on his ceiling. He could even move – abet it was exhausting and sluggish but he could. But this time he couldn't even open his eyes. Obi-Wan struggled violently, his mind screaming at his body to respond. Although panic was quickly gaining ground, Obi-Wan found he couldn't even increase his breathing to anything other than the slow, steady beat.

He was trapped in his own body. Awake but unable to see – unable to do anything. The panic was unchecked now and Obi-Wan's efforts to move doubled. The urge to wet his dry lips was suddenly overwhelming. But his lips remained firmly pressed together. Obi-Wan couldn't even move his tongue for Force's sake.

_I'm awake! Please! Help me!_

The emotions inside him were raging. He wanted to cry, to scream – just to move! Even to lift his finger would be enough!

_Please! I can't – I can't! Please!_

Obi-Wan was in full blown hysterics now. He reached out blindly for the Force and instantly he felt it fill his mind. Still, he could not move and even the warm light of the Force offered no comfort. Desperately he tugged at it, begging it to bring him relief. But no sudden peace flowed through him, instead the Force found his turbulent mind and his unease and conflict multiplied.

_Someone, please! Wake me up!_

Instantly he wished for the dreams, as horrifying as they were. Anything but this. The darkness of his mind was all encompassing and ultimately terrifying. He released the Force violently, at unawares and uncaring of where it was racing to.

_I'm awake! Someone – Make it stop!_

* * *

The tea kettle flew from his hands as his grip released on its own accord. The liquid spread across the counter, sizzling as it came into contact with the hot burner. Qui-Gon doubled over, his hand clutching his heart as emotions assaulted him from every angle. A feeling of horrible binding filled his mind and panic and fear ran rampant. The Force swept through his mind like a tidal wave, nearly screaming words into his mind.

'_Make it stop!'_

Qui-Gon didn't question how it was possible that the boy's words found themselves into his mind. At the moment it didn't matter. Long had Qui-Gon Jinn followed the will of the Force and right now it was screaming at him to aid Obi-Wan. The hallway blurred as he sprinted. He ignored the lift and yanked open the emergency stairwell, nearly leaping up the stairs.

'_Please!'_

Qui-Gon nearly stumbled at the panic that accompanied the word. He willed himself faster, the floors passing in a matter of moments. A quick Force push slammed the doorway open. The Master's feet didn't slow as he tore down the hallway and into another stairwell, then yet another hallway before he burst into the Healer's ward and past a startled Padawan receptionist. He nearly slid into Obi-Wan's door before slamming his hand against the door control. The Initiate laid as he had left him; deathly still on the bed. Nothing to display the turbulence that was radiating inside Qui-Gon's mind. Two strides brought him to the boy's bed and he shook Obi-Wan.

"Wake up, Obi-Wan!" When he received no response, Qui-Gon reached out with the Force, pushing his way through the cloud of fear that enveloped the Initiate's mind. Almost instantly Obi-Wan latched onto his presence. Qui-Gon forced calm into the boy's mind and was instantly rewarded when the inner storm quieted in response.

"Master Jinn, please sir! What are you doing?" A Healer Padawan stood before him, stumbling backwards as the intimidating Master's head snapped around to face him.

"Wake him up."

"B-But Master Jinn, I'm under direct orders…to…keep him…" The Padawan faltered under the cold glare of the tall Master.

"Wake. Him. Up." The edge to his voice surprised even Qui-Gon and the Padawan buckled under it immediately. He pulled an injector from his apron, his hands shaking as he prepped and pressed it against the pale neck. The Padawan hesitated, but one look at the Jedi Master's face had him injecting the solution. Seconds later Obi-Wan's eyes flew open, his lips parting in a throaty shout, frightening the Padawan so he tripped over a medical cart and sent himself and its contents sprawling across the floor.

With little warning the boy shot up, nearly knocking heads with Qui-Gon before tossing himself out of bed and sprinting from the room.

* * *

_Of Connections_

It was only when Obi-Wan's mind finally managed to gather itself into something coherent again that he realized he was running. Instinctively his feet slowed to a stop. Why was he running? More importantly, where was he running to? His brows furled when he stared down at the worn, grey-yellow marble at his feet. A quick glance around the near pitch black hallway confirmed it.

"The lower levels?" Obi-Wan frowned. Why had he come here?

The old Temple floors hadn't been used in years. He had explored down here once or twice during his nightly rounds but something about the place had spooked him and Obi-Wan hadn't returned since. Yet here he was. He blinked as he stared down at the white hospital robes he wore. How much trouble was he going to be in for running away? He hadn't meant to but the moment movement was returned to his stiff limbs all Obi-Wan cared about was getting away.

Obi-Wan moaned and brought his hands to cradle his head. A vicious headache ravaged his brain, making in near impossible to think straight. Suddenly he felt rather unsteady on his feet. Shakily he made his way down to the floor, resting against the stone wall. He brought his knees to his chest, clasping his arms around them with a shudder. He couldn't tell if was from the cold or not. Obi-Wan could see his breath as he exhaled sharply. He stared at the momentary fog before realizing it was taking too long to fade. His brows furled as he watched it drift to the center of the hallway.

Obi-Wan mouth went dry as a pair of iridescence boots walked into his line of sight. His grip on his knees tightened as Obi-Wan felt an all too familiar fear pool in his stomach. The figure said nothing, simply stood in front of him – watching him. To his horror, he felt hot tears streak down of his face. He was tired of this. Tired of feeling mad. Force, of _actin_g mad. And most of all, of not understanding what was going on. With a sigh Obi-Wan buried his face against his knees.

"Who are you?"

'What could have been.'

"What?"

'…Never mind. We can go into that later.'

"Can't you just go away?" Obi-Wan asked miserably, lifting his head momentarily to wipe a string of snot away with his sleeve. The man had moved, crouching in front of him. Obi-Wan caught half of a face, displeased and ultimately see-through before hiding his own once more.

'I'm afraid I can't do that.'

"Why not?"

The figure in front of him said nothing more. And Obi-Wan didn't ask him anything more. He was unaware of how long he stayed like that, the cold of the lower levels radiating through the stone against his back and bare feet, his thoughts slowing to a dull whir.

There was just silence.

Until he came. The echoes of boot falls were ominous in the muted space. Obi-Wan's grip tightened even further on his knees. Somehow, he was capable of feeling him the moment the elevator began it's descent to the lower levels. The Initiate wondered why. Where had this sudden hyper awareness of the Jedi Master come from? He flashed back to the Healer's Ward, of a sudden feeling of security in the blind panic. Surely that hadn't been...

The footsteps ceased - but still, silence.

* * *

For the Initiate's actual height, he seemed rather small. Grey eyes swept over the huddled figure, sliding past white knuckles and coming to rest on the boy's bare feet. Surely they must be cold – the lower levels were freezing. Why had he come here?

The entire Temple Security Force was searching for him. His personal friends had been put on alert should he come to them. Past security vids showed that the boy was extremely versed in the Temple's pathways, combine that with the massive amount of Force signatures in the Temple and Uri was convinced that he would be hard to find. But Qui-Gon had known exactly where the missing Initiate was. Obi-Wan's presence stood out in his mind like a neon light.

Qui-Gon stood quietly in front of the boy, for some reason unwilling to break the heavy silence that filled the dark hallway. The boy's hair seemed black in the dim light, and Qui-Gon stared at the dark locks in thought.

Xanatos flashed across his mind briefly and he was surprised to realize that he hadn't thought about his former apprentice in some time. Qui-Gon mused over the thought for a few moments, his eyes never leaving the still Initiate's form. When had his treacherous padawan stopped being at the forefront of his thoughts? When had Obi-Wan started to consume his thoughts? How could Qui-Gon possibly be okay with that after what had happened? Yet he knew instinctively that the two boys were different; that Obi-Wan was nothing like Xanatos. He had been aware of Obi-Wan Kenobi's existence for just shy of five days, yet Qui-Gon somehow knew this.

He felt his lips press themselves into a thin line, his face taking up the serious continence it was well known for. Why was he continuously drawn back to this boy? Qui-Gon could not deny the link he felt with the Initiate - just as he could not deny the violence of his reaction to Obi-Wan's feelings. Uri had taken one furious look at his shaken Padawan and banned Qui-Gon from the Healer's Ward.

The Master's boots squeaked against the tile as he crouched down before the boy. Obi-Wan stiffened and Qui-Gon sighed. He supposed he couldn't blame the Initiate for being intimidated by him. Their encounters hadn't been exactly pleasant ones. Still, he couldn't help the feeling of discontent that rolled over him. He didn't particularly want Obi-Wan to be afraid of him.

Obi-Wan shifted and a pair of weary eyes appeared. They locked eyes briefly and the Jedi Master felt his heart twist at the emotion displayed.

The Initiate glanced down at his feet, his toes curling against the tile. Qui-Gon watched the movement, unsure if his touch would only succeed in making him more uncomfortable, before reaching out and resting his fingers against the boy's forehead. He slid them gently up through his hair, sending waves of comfort through his fingertips. Obi-Wan's eyes rose once again and Qui-Gon felt his breath catch slightly at the gratitude reflected in them.

And although Qui-Gon knew he should report in, he didn't move.

* * *

For some reason I'm really anxious to know how this chapter went over! Could you all do me a favor and review with your favorite parts?

Oh and I'm working on the UA chapter, really I am! I've got the beginning and ending done, I just can't seem to get satisfied with the middle portion. But I swear! I will get it up by the end of this month!

Thanks!


	4. Of Possession and Promises

Well, I finally updated. I know, I know, two years. ::wince:: I'm going to rot in a special kinda of fanfic hell for that one, right? Anywho, here's the chapter.

Rough copy, put it up as soon I finished it with a once over. Will come back and put up a cleaner one soon. Love ya guys, hope you like.

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 4**

_Of Possession _

Obi-Wan did his hardest not to look at the group of Masters before him. He was – once again – in the healers ward and he wasn't particularly happy about it. Never mind the fact that they were asking questions he couldn't answer.

Why did you run?

I don't know, I just did.

Why can't you sleep?

I don't know, I just can't.

What made you so afraid?

That one he could answer, but Obi-Wan refused to. He didn't want them to think him mad, no, he refused to allow them to think him mad. Even now, though Obi-Wan couldn't see the man, he could feel the Jedi Masters watching him. Master Jinn was intimidating enough, but paired with Masters Windu and Billaba and Master Healer Uri, Obi-Wan felt incredibly out of his league.

"I honestly don't know what's going on, Masters. I just…" Obi-Wan stopped there, unsure how to go on and let his hands rest atop of the covers. Master Jinn was standing directly behind the impressive pair, leaning against the wall and watching him with the same intensity that made the Initiate feel like he was made out of glass. Made him feel that the Master could somehow see straight through him.

"Perhaps there is more to this story then you are telling us, yes?" Though Master Billaba had phrased it as a question, Obi-Wan knew it wasn't one. He looked guilty away from her kind face. When her former Master spoke, it was not as kind.

"It is imperative that you tell us the truth, Obi-Wan." He winced at the Council Member's tone before nodding weakly.

"Yes, Master Windu." Obi-Wan took a deep breath before most likely ending his chances at being a Jedi. And so he told them everything, still doing all he could not to look at anyone. "It's gotten worse since I stopped sleeping; maybe it's because of that?"

'Is that what I am, a figment of your imagination?'

Obi-Wan groaned before raising a hand up to rub his forehead. The voice felt ten times louder against his migraine. The Initiate kept his hand up to block the image of the Masters from his view. He didn't want to see the looks he knew they must be giving him now.

"I'm crazy, aren't I?" He asked miserably, finally allowing his hand to drop back to his lap.

"No one is saying that." Master Billaba's voice was soft. "Can you tell me when you first started to feel this way?"

Obi-Wan started a bit at that. When had it begun? He frowned, staring at his clasped hands as he tried to recall. His eyes widened slightly as he thought of the meditation exercise, the feeling of dread he had felt after it. Had it really truly only been a few days? It felt like an eternity. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Obi-Wan told them of the exercise and the feeling of shifting that had followed it.

The Master Healer hummed in interest when he heard that and turned to Billaba, the two of them talking softly. Obi-Wan forced himself not to listen, trying to ignore the way Master Windu was watching him. The dark skinned Master eyes were unreadable, staring at him without blinking, looking every bit of his legend. The cowed Initiate would have given anything to know what the Council Member was thinking at the moment.

Obi-Wan swallowed, daring to look at the Jedi Master that stood behind them. Qui-Gon was staring at the floor, a thick frown on his face. _He must think I'm completely insane. _Misery filled him at that thought and he let out a wearily sigh. For whatever reason, having Qui-Gon Jinn think him crazy was actually more disheartening than anything else he'd run across so far.

So caught up in his blanketing misery, the Initiate nearly jumped from the bed when a tanned hand rested across his own. Depa Billaba sat across from him, a soft smile on her face.

"I'd like to try something, Obi-Wan." He nodded slowly at her, the smallest of hopes flaring in his chest that the Master might be able to fix him somehow. "I'd like to, well, take a look into your mind. It's a deeply personal thing, Obi-Wan. I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"I don't mind." The Initiate answered quickly, nearly kicking himself at how desperate he sounded. Billaba nodded and reached out, placing both of her hands on either side of his temple.

"I want you to take deep breaths, Obi-Wan, close your eyes and try to clear your mind."

* * *

Qui-Gon watched, his lips a thin line, as Depa stilled in front of the boy. Her eyes acquired a glazed over look and Obi-Wan let out a sigh, his hands falling limply to his side. Truth be told, he didn't know what to take of what the boy had said. The Master could feel the fear, the desperation that was like a constant cloak around the boy's presence. Was Obi-Wan mad? The Jedi Master couldn't be sure. What if he was? What would Qui-Gon do? Just a day ago, that answer would have been easy to give; he'd have left the poor boy without a backwards glance.

But now…he could still see those eyes, thick with emotions, staring at him with such gratitude from over his knees. Qui-Gon didn't know what he would do if Obi-Wan was mad. Leaving the boy alone was out of the question, he knew now. Though a path still open to him, it had become one of impossibility. Qui-Gon couldn't even bring himself to think of it without feeling ridiculous.

For better or for worse, the boy had somehow wormed his way into Qui-Gon's life.

His attention was forced back to the situation at hand when Depa gave a short gasp. Her eyes flew open, staring at Obi-Wan in trepidation. A split second later and the boy's hands were gripping Depa's wrists hard enough for Qui-Gon to see the skin reddening rapidly, yanking them down and away from his face. Qui-Gon felt his own breath catch as Obi-Wan's eyes opened once again, staring at the woman coldly.

The Initiate made a tisking sound, eyes almost glowing with distaste. "Bad wench, that place isn't for you."

And then he threw the tall woman from his bed as if she was a child.

Mace caught his former student before she had a chance to hit the floor. Depa's hands clung to her former Master's robe like it was a life line, staring up at Obi-Wan with a mix of horror and revulsion. Crouched, one hand pressed against the floor for stability and the other wrapped around Depa's waist, Mace's reaction to her fear wasn't one Qui-Gon had seen in a long time. Dark eyes hard, the Council Member was sending Obi-Wan, the glare promising unfortunate things if the Initiate did not regain control of himself immediately. Uri was still where he stood but Qui-Gon could see him fingering a sedative in one hand, calculating eyes watching the encounter.

Qui-Gon straightened unconsciously as those cold eyes turned to stare at him, a smile curving across Obi-Wan's face that wasn't completely sane.

"What the hell you looking at?" His voice was odd, deeper and with an accent that Qui-Gon quite place. He felt his frown deepen as the boy suddenly threw his head back, laughing almost hysterically.

"Who are you?" Depa asked carefully from her spot on the floor. The boy's head snapped to stare down at her, the smile widening.

"Who are _you_?" Obi-Wan, no, Qui-Gon couldn't associate that name with the person they were seeing now, pointed an accusing finger at her. "Tramping around like you own the place."

"What are you doing in Obi-Wan's mind?" She demanded, clearly refusing to back down from the teen.

"Oh, so now it's Obi-Wan's?" The frown he sent her seemed more at place on an unruly child then on a face that had been riddled with madness moments before. "I'd reevaluate that assessment if I were you." The toothy smile returned. "After all, I was here first."

That seemed to send him into uncontrollable giggles again. Qui-Gon felt his hands curl into fists. He could feel the turbulent emotions raging in Obi-Wan, switching from anger to humor to curiosity. And fear, always the presence of fear. It made him angry, furious, to think the boy never got a respite from it. Qui-Gon stepped forward, his eyes stern as he stared at the laughing boy. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he'd had just about enough of it regardless.

"Answer the question." Qui-Gon ground the words out, willing the force of his will to reach the boy and to his surprise, the laughing stopped completely. The boy stared at him with narrowed eyes, head cocking slightly to the side.

"I'm what could have been. What should have been." It was almost a hiss, the anger flaring across the teen's features. "And by Shin, I am what will be."

The declaration left an ominous silence in the room. And then the boy stiffened, his hands flying to clutch his head. The face twisted into a sneer, his hands shaking. When he spoke next, his tone was mocking. "What, now you're not afraid, Oh-bee-wan?"

There was a sharp cry and the fingers tightened until they dug into scalp. "Get out of my head!"

Like a switched had been flipped, Obi-Wan back. He dropped his hands from his head, staring at them with wide, horrified eyes. The Initiate let out a strangled sound before burying his face in his hands, tortured sobs making his lithe frame shake violently. Qui-Gon's feet were moving before he really registered it and he sat on the bed, pulling the crying boy roughly against him.

The Initiate made no sign that he'd even noticed the move, his sobs reaching a pitiful pitch. Qui-Gon stared at the now standing pair of Masters helplessly. The look of complete confusion and pity on Depa's face wasn't exactly reassuring.

_Of Promises_

"What do you think it is?" His voice came out hushed, as if Obi-Wan could somehow hear them through the wall.

For a moment all four Masters stood, side by side, watching the boy. The Initiate sat still on the bed, staring as he slowly clenched and unclenched his hands, as if making sure he could still do it. Even from the other side of the observation window, Qui-Gon could see the bloodshot eyes and red nose of the boy.

Next to him, Depa sighed.

"I don't know. I've never felt anything like that before. At first I thought it was foreign presence, but now that I've had time to think about it, that's not completely correct." The dark haired Master sent them a weary look, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Not completely?" Mace's voice was low and he was watching his former apprentice with an intensity that set Qui-Gon on guard. He didn't know what the Council Member was planning, but he'd make sure it had Obi-Wan's best interest in it. Besides that, Mace more than anyone knew Depa's talents and if he was this disgruntled about her reaction, then Qui-Gon was worried.

"That presence was as part of Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan himself…yet somehow the most foreign part of him."

"A split personality, perhaps?" Uri asked softly, still watching the boy, his countenance seeming ages older under his worry.

"No." Depa turned back to the boy as well. "No, I don't think that it's at all."

Next to her, Mace frowned. "I have heard that phrase before, 'By Shin.' Though I cannot think of where."

Qui-Gon sighed, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice as he reiterated his original question. "Do we have any idea what's going on?"

Uri sighed. "We need to run some tests, a few scans and blood work mostly. Though I'm almost positive it's not a brain injury, I'd like to be sure. And we will need to repeat this experiment before we can know for sure. Yet I am hesitant after what we just saw. The presence of this second personality clearly distresses Obi-Wan."

That was the biggest understatement Qui-Gon had ever heard. It had taken almost two hours and the combined forces of all the Masters present to calm Obi-Wan down. He fought the urge to point that particular fact out and simply shook his head instead.

"It will have to be done. And soon." Mace's tone left no room for argument. Qui-Gon did so anyway.

"No." He turned to face his friend, crossing his arms. "Obi-Wan's psyche is already too delicate because of this. We should wait, at least a few days, before we try again."

Mace's eyes narrowed, his lips a thin line as he stared at him for a moment. Qui-Gon fought the urge to fidget, refusing to back down from his friend's stare.

"That, Qui-Gon, is not for you to decide." His tone was steely, his eyes unforgiving. "You are not his Master."

Qui-Gon took an involuntary step backwards feeling as if he'd been slapped, more then a little shocked to realize that he had been acting as such. He stared at the man with wide eyes, suddenly finding that he had forgotten there was a reason why no one ever back talked to Mace. The dark skinned Master watched him a moment more before turning away from him, gesturing for Depa to follow him.

"Come, we shall report this to Master Yoda."

And then he left. Qui-Gon stared after him, trying not to appear as affected by the comment as he actually was. Next to him, Uri sighed, bringing a hand to rub at his forehead. The younger Jedi thought he heard the Healer mutter something rather despairing about the stupidity of the young before he glanced at him, giving him a small smile.

"He has a way with words, doesn't he?" Qui-Gon nodded mutely. "Why don't you go in and see Obi-Wan? He needs as much comfort right now as he can get."

Qui-Gon nodded again, trying to force Mace's words and the realization that had sprung from them from his mind as he palmed the med door open.

* * *

Obi-Wan was staring at his hands, twisting them and closing them and turning them. He couldn't stop. Every time he stilled, he feared the next time he tried to move them, he wouldn't be able to. Obi-Wan shuddered. He couldn't get the feeling of being controlled from his mind. Watching his body speak, move without his permission was terrifying.

The only relief he had was that Master Billaba had reassured him, repeatedly and quite convincingly as he had sobbed against Qui-Gon's chest, that he wasn't crazy. That, at least, was something he'd gained. But who knew when the next moment was going to come when the Other took over? And what the hell had he meant?

"_And by Shin, I am what will be."_

What did that mean? Was the Other going to take over forever? Obi-Wan let out a shaky sigh at that thought, clenching his hands so tightly his fingers popped. Was he going to spend every day watching his body act without his permission? The door hissed open and Obi-Wan forced himself to pull his attention away from his hands to look at the person. Not that he needed to. He had identified it as Qui-Gon the moment the door opened. The Initiate's hyper awareness of the man was truly overwhelming sometimes.

The mattress sunk as the older Jedi sat down and Obi-Wan quickly slid his eyes back down to his hands, flexing them again. He didn't know how to react around the Jedi Master. He knew once he was capable of thinking again he was going to be horribly embarrassed. He had just spent the majority of the last few hours pressed against the Master's chest, bawling his eyes out like a five year old after all.

As of right now, Obi-Wan just couldn't bring himself to look at the man's face. He'd felt the Master's presence in his mind like a beacon, the entire time he'd been possessed. Was that even what it was? And it had been a strange, driving need to get the other away from Qui-Gon that had finally given the terrified Initiate the strength to push him back to whatever dark depth of Obi-Wan's mind he had come from.

A large hand rested over top his own, stilling them with its size. Obi-Wan looked up at Qui-Gon, swallowing at the kind yet serious look the other man was giving him. He immediately dropped his gaze again, focusing on the pattern of the Jedi's cloak. Obi-Wan couldn't help the guilt he felt when he thought of how the other had spoken to him.

"Obi-Wan, look at me." Qui-Gon's voice was soft in its command and Obi-Wan found his eyes drawn up once more, looking at the Master. "You have nothing to apologize for."

He started slightly, surprised that the Master could read him so easily and then nodded, bowing his head once more. For a while they just sat there, Qui-Gon's hand firmly in place over his own, Obi-Wan lost in thought as he tried his best to ignore the fact that the Master was still watching him.

Eventually, Qui-Gon let out a sigh. "They want to try again."

Obi-Wan's shoulders drooped, trying to overcome the despair that filled him at that thought. He was impressed with himself when the reply came out completely level.

"I see." The Initiate cleared his throat, struggling to keep control over his emotions. "What do they think is happening to me?"

The hand that was covering his own slid up his arm to his shoulder, where it gave a small squeeze and remained. Almost instantly Obi-Wan shifted his hands.

"We don't know, Obi-Wan."

He couldn't help the small choking noise he made at that. The concept the Masters, the all-knowing Masters who for the majority of his short life always had the answer, didn't know what was going on filled Obi-Wan with a whole new kind of terror. The hand left his shoulder, instantly quieting his twitching hands as it fell upon them once more. Qui-Gon watched him with an emotion Obi-Wan couldn't quite place before looking away.

"But I promise I will find out."

* * *

So again, sorry about the wait. I promise I'll be better. I lost my job (go economy!) so I have a lot more time to write.

Let me know how you liked it and as always, I love knowing your favorite parts!


	5. Of Acceptance

This is a short, little chapter. Mostly fluff. Don't know why, but I wanted it to have its own chapter. Plus I haven't written anything for the next part besides this. That may have something to do with it as well.

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 5**

_Qui-Gon sprinted down the hallway, the Force making each step faster than it should have been. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. Yet it wasn't from exertion, it was from fear. He flew down marble corridor after marble corridor, hardly registering anything other than the driving need to move. He had to make it – he had to!_

_The Jedi let out a gasp of relief as he flung the final door open, taking the stairway in three bounds. The night wind struck him, making Qui-Gon's cloak billow across his face and blinded him. He nearly tore the damn thing off in his panic to see._

_Where? There!_

_The boy looked over at him from the railing where he was stood balanced, his lips twisted into a humorless smile. For a split second the two of them stared at each other – and then Obi-Wan stepped forward._

_"No!" He shot forward, feeling the edges of the boy's cloak ghost over his knuckles before disappearing from sight all together. Qui-Gon stared wide eyed at the spot Obi-Wan had been standing. The Force flickered and Qui-Gon howled his agony._

* * *

Qui-Gon awoke to the sound of himself reflexively choking back a scream. Years of field service had taught him that lesson well and for a few moments he sat frozen in his bed, his eyes taking in his surroundings in. To his relief he was still in his quarters at the Temple. Qui-Gon brought his hand up to rub at his eyes. Of course he was, he was grounded after all.

It was rare that he dreamed and it was even rarer that it affected him like this. Or that Qui-Gon remembered it at all. The Master moved to stand and looked down at the sheets still clutched in his fists in surprise. He'd torn it clean in two. He dropped the fabric and stumbled to the fresher, nearly falling as he violently stripped himself. He turned the shower on full blast and stepped in, his body instantly reacting to the freezing water. Qui-Gon titled his head back and opened his mouth, greedily drinking the cool water that pooled there.

The last time a dream had affected him so much had been about Xanatos and it had been more of a memory really. This…this was something else. A premonition? Dread filled him at that and suddenly the shower wasn't enough. He grit his teeth as he pulled his uniform on rather roughly, the way the fabric clung to his half dry body making Qui-Gon feel even more frustrated. The Master stormed down the hallway, thankful that it was the middle of the night and no one was awake to see his actions. He could barely contain himself inside the lift. No matter how many times Qui-Gon tried to focus himself, tried to release his feelings to the Force, he found he couldn't. How could he? When every time he tried he saw only Obi-Wan stepping into the abyss? The doors opened and Qui-Gon damn near had to stop himself from stomping towards his destination.

He was suddenly completely and utterly annoyed with the boy. Annoyed at him about everything. Annoyed he'd made himself so completely at home in Qui-Gon's life without his permission. Annoyed that he could make him feel so strongly. Annoyed that he could make him dream like that - a right reserved to but a few. He entered the Healing ward that Obi-Wan was assigned to, daring the Knight on reception duty to challenge him. The Knight simply stared at him with wide eyes before holding both hands up in a decisively submissive pose and returning to her paper work.

Glowering, Qui-Gon made his way to Obi-Wan's room – and felt the irrational feelings drain away at the sight of the awake boy. Leaning flush against the window Obi-Wan's white clad body seemed to glow as the city light filtered into the small room. For a moment Qui-Gon felt like he was seeing a ghost, that the dream had been real after all. But then the boy turned to look at him, his mouth tugging into a confused frown.

"Master Jinn? Is something wrong?"

"Couldn't sleep." He lied automatically, stepping furthering into the room and hearing the door hiss closed behind him. Obi-Wan nodded and turned from him, staring out at the window once more. Qui-Gon moved to stand next to him, folding his hands into his sleeves as he stared out at the traffic that flew by. The silence that fell between them was an odd one. Not uncomfortable but not without its awkwardness. The silence strayed on and Qui-Gon found himself watching the Initiate from the corner of his eye. The tips of the boy's fingers were almost constantly twitching if not the entire hand and Qui-Gon felt the urge to still the flighty digits. How long would that habit of fear plague Obi-Wan?

Qui-Gon sighed and dropped to the floor, folding his legs in front of him as he watched the night skies before gesturing for Obi-Wan to join him. The older Jedi watched as the boy stared down at him in a mix of weary confusion and suspicion before joining the Jedi Master on the ground.

"I'm here on my own free will, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said softly, watching the surprise and doubt play across the boy's face via his reflection. "I am not here to test or evaluate you. I doubt the Council even knows I'm here."

Except perhaps for a damnable green troll. But that was neither here nor there.

"Why are you here then?" Obi-Wan asked as he stretched his legs out, pressing his feet against the cool glass. The movement struck Qui-Gon as a particularly childish one and he found himself turning to truly look at the boy next to him. Stress gave Obi-Wan more lines to his face then he really had any right to have but in this half-light Qui-Gon was suddenly struck with just how young Obi-Wan truly was.

"Perhaps I wanted company." Qui-Gon murmured softly, still reeling slightly from his previous thoughts. When did the healers tell him Obi-Wan's birthday was? He was still less then thirteen cycles, a child. He watched as a commercial ship floated lazily in the distance, the giant billboard ad attached to it casting the room in soft blue light. He could almost hear Obi-Wan's irritation with the vagueness of his answer. But what could Qui-Gon say? He wasn't sure what lead him outside of the dream and that was something he certainly was in no mood to discuss.

The silence returned and Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan's finger tips moved mindlessly across the floor, his eyes locked unseeingly on the window in front of him. The Initiate's eyes seemed almost entirely grey in the half-light and he watched as emotions played across the boy's face.

"What are you thinking about?" Belatedly, Qui-Gon wondered why it came out an almost whisper before blaming it on the heavy atmosphere of the room. Loud noises, any noise really other than the soft hiss of the air registers, just seemed out of place. The boy looked at him, eyes guarded before looking back out over the traffic.

"I keep looking at my reflection, wondering if it's really me looking back." Obi-Wan finally answered, his voice strained. The boy's hand reached out and touched his reflection before his fingertips ghosted over the outline of the neon sign that interrupted it. "I wonder if I'm going to look at my face and suddenly realize I don't recognize it."

Qui-Gon leaned back on his palms, feeling himself soften even more towards the troubled boy next to him as he easily read the meaning behind those words. "You won't forget."

And somehow, he knew the boy wouldn't. Obi-Wan's head snapped to stare at him at the declaration but Qui-Gon ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on the traffic lanes. After a moment Obi-Wan returned his attention back to the window and the Jedi Master couldn't help but be pleased when the boy looked past his reflection and to the night beyond it.

As they passed into a comfortable stillness Qui-Gon allowed himself to accept what he had known ever since that night in the lower levels. He sighed as Obi-Wan's hands began to twitch once more – they were going to have to work on that – and stilled the nearest one with his own.

"Stop that, Padawan."

* * *

So…how'd you like it? I wanted something mostly short and sweet but still with a little mystery to keep you interested in what's to come.


	6. Of Things to Come

Okay this chapter was the last half of the other one, posted on its own. I'd planned on making it longer but decided to keep it short, so the next chapter would start off where I wanted it to.

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 6**

_Of Things To Come_

Life had never been fairly kind to Mirtha, though that was to be expected for someone such as herself. Her culture demanded that people like her be tightly controlled – every word, every movement. She knew little of the world outside of her shrine and even less of the worlds beyond the night sky.

But she could still See. That was her gift or curse, depending on who you were. Mirtha could pick through the various strings of fate and find the one that was to come to pass. That was why they kept her around, her predictions had rarely been wrong. Sadly, the things that Mirtha Saw were never pleasant things. Unlike her sister she could barely remember but whom she knew she shared her face, her predictions never brought happiness. Only fear and sadness.

She was the Prophet of Destruction and destruction was all that she ever Saw. Death, pain, illness, strife…the images flashed through her mind at all times. And though Mirtha had valiantly tried several times in her short life to block them she found she could not. Nor could she keep her mouth from speaking what she Saw. Terrible, terrible things that made those around her wither and make old signs against evil.

And so they had locked her up here, attended by two deaf mutes who washed her and fed her and were the closest thing Mirtha had ever had to family. She had never seen their faces – her eyes perpetually bound in darkness that accompanied her Sight. She never spoken to them (and she wished to, even though she knew they could not hear her) as Mirtha had had her lips sealed as well. Thick leather laces sown through them kept her silent.

Only when the Temple Master came were they loosened and she was free to ramble of what dark things she'd seen. She was not surprised when she felt the strange pulling feeling that accompanied the movement of her laces. The smell of Hithaline oil was strong in the air and she knew that the Temple Master had come to seek her words.

And today she knew her words would not disappoint.

"The moons are red in the day sky, Mirtha." The deep voice of the Master was grave. The laces were loosening. A dry tongue darted across equally dry lips. "Tell me what you have Seen."

And then – there. Freedom to speak the words that bounded in her skull.

" – awakened from his sleep, he rages for all to know. His anger will lead him on a twisted path to this world. His bloody footsteps will burn into the soil until the very earth screams. He will come for those who guided him to death once – and all shall fall in his revenge. Violet blood will flow from the Thrown of Felamore and once more fill the streets of the Blue City. From the west he will come and with his blade he will bring the Scared Family to its very knees."

The laces were being tightened again, pressing her lips together.

"The Betrayers will fall and he shall feast upon their flesh until th – mpp."

And then once again silence ruled her world.

* * *

Obi-Wan stared at the group of Masters that stood before him before glancing nervously at his own Master. It seemed so strange to him, so utterly incomprehensible that at first he'd honestly thought the older Jedi had been joking with him. A part of him had still felt so when Qui-Gon had brought along the slender device that grew and braided the signature padawan braid.

_Unexpected but most certainly not unwanted._

He had no idea why Master Jinn had wanted to take him as his apprentice, especially with all that had been going on. Obi-Wan was practically insane for Force sake! When he had pointed this out, Qui-Gon had simply shrugged and told him they were all insane in their own way. And so he'd become a padawan. He was so distressed about his mental state that Obi-Wan barely felt the joy that had taken him at the news. What good would he be as a padawan if he was crazy?

The Masters before them had taken the news with a set of smiles that had him suspecting they may have somehow foreseen this happening, though Obi-Wan had no idea how. It certainly had caught him off guard. Master Billaba sat next to him on the bed, giving him a reassuring smile. He tried to give it back the best he could. Master Yoda was perched precariously on a stool the Master Healer had brought him to his right, watching Obi-Wan with thoughtful eyes.

Behind them stood the ever intimidating figure of Mace Windu and to his left was Qui-Gon. His Master gave him a tight smile. Though the Masters had fought over when to try and contact his other again his Master had in the end bowed to Master Yoda's wishes. And so, here they were.

"Obi-Wan," He shot his attention back over to the Master before him. She smiled softly, reaching out and brushing a cool hand across his forehead. "We're going to begin now."

Obi-Wan nodded mutely, staring down at his clenched hands. He really, really didn't want to do this. They were going to try and bring out whatever was in his mind again. He didn't relish the complete loss of control that was undoubtedly going to follow. Master Billaba rested her hand upon his twitching one and Obi-Wan closed his eyes obediently, waiting for the feather light touch of the Master's force signature.

'Why in the name of all that is Holy would you let that bitch rummage through our mind a second time?'

Obi-Wan's head snapped to the left so quickly he felt his neck pop. The translucent figure from before was standing next to him, watching the group of Masters with a bored look on his face. Obi-Wan glanced back at the Masters and gasped. They were completely frozen, Master Windu's hand was even half way up to rub at his forehead. He reached out to shake the still woman in front of him.

"Master Billaba? Ma'am?" Nothing. Panicked, Obi-Wan looked to the small green Master at his side only to find him unmoving as well, a doopy looking grin frozen on his face.

'Calm down.' The man said after a moment.

"What did you do?" Obi-Wan asked, turning to look at the figure fearfully.

'We need to have a little talk.' The man said as he sat rather gracefully on the bed next to him. Obi-Wan moved until his back was pressed against the headboard, trying to put as much distance between himself and the other as he possibly could. 'Oh will you stop that!' The man snapped, 'If I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now. Moronic child.'

His words did little to comfort though. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, trying to banish the fear that was in his breast. How was he supposed to be a Jedi if he couldn't function every time he was terrified? Obi-Wan released the breath and for the first time truly looked at the translucent man before him. He was a human, at least he looked human and despite the fact that he was see through Obi-Wan was able to distinguish a mop of dark hair and piercing eyes. His expression was sharp with disgust as he watched Obi-Wan's quivering form.

And suddenly the man was moving, throwing himself at the headboard. His hands went through Obi-Wan completely, his sneering face an inch away from his own. Instinct had Obi-Wan pressed against the window opposite his bed before he'd had a chance to really register what happened. The man was crouched on the matress, staring at him with something completely unreadable on his face. Something inside Obi-Wan shuddered at it though, something instinctively screaming that it didn't bode well for him.

'It's time to go home.'

Those words were Obi-Wan's doom. He knew it somehow, completely and utterly. The feeling so complete that it robbed him of his ability to stand. He squeezed his eyes shut, sliding down until he was on the floor, face buried against his knees. From the bed, Obi-Wan could hear the Other's laughter.

* * *

Another short chapter, I know. Tell me what you think. Next chapter you will have more Obi/Qui bonding and the starts of a trip off planet.


	7. Of Quiet and Familiar Places

I'm back. Here's the chapter. It's probably going to be a little rough (like when are my chapters ever not?) but I'll go back and edit it eventually. I wrote the first part of this story to Satie: Gymnopedie No.1, if you're interested in background music.

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 7**

_Of Quiet_

Obi-Wan watched the rain trail down the window. He could feel his Master's eyes on his back. Qui-Gon was sitting in a rather uncomfortable looking plastic chair, both hands clasped together and watching the rain with a pensive look on his face. After the failed second attempt to pull his Other out of his mind, Masters Billaba and Windu had left to discuss new strategies with Master Yoda.

He couldn't help but feel like he'd disappointed them somehow. Failed, somehow. It didn't help that Obi-Wan couldn't explain what had happen to them. They had no memory of the moment of frozen time. No memory of it meant it may not have happen at all – another fabrication of Obi-Wan's own mind. All the Masters had seen was Obi-Wan flinging himself to the corner and collapsing.

The rain fell liberally. In the midst of all this Obi-Wan had somehow managed to lose track of the date. The weather control devices made sure the city always had rain for the first week of the new month. He liked the rain.

Obi-Wan could feel the presence of the Other - the ever present feeling of being watched - though it hadn't appeared as a figure again. The feeling of pending doom hadn't left him either. If anything, the day and night that followed it had only made it grow. Obi-Wan lifted his eyes to stare at the grey sky. He watched as lighting danced across the very top of the clouds, yet there was no thunder to be heard. Obi-Wan had always wondered about that. Maybe because the lighting never came down from the sky? He felt exhausted and with a sigh Obi-Wan closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the cool glass.

The feeling he had was very strange. A sort of depressed acceptance, an acknowledgment that somehow he couldn't escape what was to come. Obi-Wan missed his friends. He even missed his instructors. He wanted to see them. He swallowed hard as he realized what he was truly thinking.

_I want to say goodbye._

He didn't know why he felt so certain that something very bad was going to happen to him. Yet…Obi-Wan could not escape this thought that he was nearing the end of his path. Did these thoughts come from the Other? Were they some sort of poison thought up to control him? Or was it that moment of intuition, the fabled gut feeling that Force wielders were legendary for having?

The room was silent save for the hiss of the air vents and the sound of Qui-Gon's breathing. Obi-Wan let his eyes drift open slowly, staring down at the Academy campus. He ran his eyes over each wing before slowly letting them travel up the three spires. Vaguely he wondered if there was someone in one of them watching the one he was in. He loved this place. He loved it with everything he had. Obi-Wan belonged to this place – he felt it in his very bones. He wanted to memorize everything about it. Every peaked roof, every dormer, every balcony, every landing pad.

As the padawan raked his eyes over the building once more he let his mind drift back to the various memories he had of the Temple. Of running late to class, of secret meetings with his friends. Of his favorite place behind the potted plant and window. Obi-Wan let his eyes drift close once more and with a barely audible sigh, said his goodbye to the building.

_I love you, _he thought to it, as if it was a sentient being. _I love everything about you. You were a wonderful home. _

Obi-Wan brought his hands up to press against the window, fingers splayed wide, as if he could somehow embrace the building. The cold felt wonderful against his skin. He wished he could just stay like this forever. In this room, just like this. He brought his gaze back up to the sky, watching as lightening raced across it.

He wondered what thunder sounded like.

* * *

Qui-Gon found it hard to swallow as he watched the boy. There was an air of defeat around him, of a quiet grief that frightened the Jedi Master in a way few things had. Obi-Wan slid his fingers across the window as if in a caress, his head cocking to the side as he watched the sky.

From his seat he watched the boy in profile. Grey eyes slid up a slim back, following the padawan braid up and then across shoulders that were just showing the promise of broadness. They ran down slightly too long arms to slender fingers, curved ever so slightly against the window. He drank in his padawan's form, desperately trying to commit it to memory.

As if he was afraid he wouldn't be able to for much longer.

Qui-Gon felt his eyes widen as he realized what he'd just thought. It was only experience that kept him from reacting outwardly and startling the boy. He fought against the feeling. There was no reason for him to feel like this, Obi-Wan was in no danger of dying. Nothing they had found or dealt with had even hinted at fatality.

So why did the Jedi Master feel like they were on borrowed time?

Qui-Gon stared at the floor in front of him as he tried to center himself. The dream was just on the edge of his thoughts, as it always seemed to be. The anguish he had felt when Obi-Wan had thrown himself from the roof top was still somehow strong enough to make his heart ache, even days later. After a moment of struggle, he managed to release the bitter feelings to the Force and brought his eyes back to the boy. Obi-Wan looked over at him, lips curving up in a small smile before turning back to view the rain. Qui-Gon's clasped hands gripped each other tightly.

He would not allow his padawan to die.

* * *

_Of Familiar Places_

Obi-Wan was sitting cross legged on his bed, elbows resting on the small desk as he listened to his Master explain the mathematical formula in front of him and how it applied in modern usage. Qui-Gon had decided that they would try and keep up with his classes while the Masters deliberated. Besides, there was nothing else to do.

But Force, Obi-Wan hated math.

He watched the man in front of him with a sense of growing affection. Peppered brown hair was pulled back into a small pony tail, lips twisted in a sharp frown as the older man scribbled down required steps. The Jedi Master had hardly left his hospital room since his admittance and that was almost three days ago.

_I guess he was serious._

That was a stupid thought, Obi-Wan realized with some surprise. Of course he was serious, hadn't Qui-Gon grown the braid himself? But still, a part of him truly expected the older man to change his mind.

Grey eyes flickered up to look at him. "Obi-Wan, are you paying attention?"

"Of course, Master." Obi-Wan said quickly, looking back down at the mass of letters and numbers that meant nothing to him despite the hours they'd been at it. He frowned. "I think my brain is broken."

The Jedi Master chuckled quietly and Obi-Wan blinked, realizing it was the first time he'd heard such a sound from him. The older man reached down and shut off the data pad. "Perhaps that's enough math for today."

Obi-Wan couldn't repress the sigh of relief as he collapsed backwards onto his pillow. He could feel Qui-Gon's eyes on him. The Jedi Master watched him a lot now. Obi-Wan wondered if it was because he expected him to become possessed at any moment. The padawan let his eyes drift shut, running his fingers across his covers and for a moment allowed himself to pretend that nothing was wrong. He was in his quarters with his master, about to lie down for a nap. He'd just managed to forget how the IV felt in his arm when the door hissed open.

Obi-Wan sat up quickly, overly aware of his rumpled appearance as Master Windu entered, Yoda wobbling in after him. The two Jedi exchanged pleasantries with Qui-Gon for a few minutes before Mace took out a small display pad and set it on the table.

"Do you remember when I told you that I had heard that expression 'By Shin' before? Well, it took me a while but I tracked down where I heard it. It was one of my first missions, I was assigned to view a rebellion in process for the Senate." He reached out and flicked on the display pad. Instantly an image of the universe filled the room. The Council Member's nimble fingers easily picked his way through the hologram, focusing it on smaller and smaller areas. "Shin was one of their creator gods. 'By Shin' is an oath that is common on the planet, especially in the western regions."

The view shifted to a single system and Obi-Wan felt his breath catch. He slid from the bed, his actions silencing the dark skinned Jedi. He didn't notice the cold tile, nor the worried look that his Master shot him as he reached out, plucking the fourth planet from the system. Instantly, a golden orb filled the room. Two moons, one a brilliant red and the other a soft blue rotated lazily around it. He let out a choking sound as he viewed the massive deserts that nearly covered the planet. There was only one patch of green left, surrounded by mountain ridges. There used to be so much more.

_What did they do to my planet?_

Obi-Wan didn't even register that the thought was his own and not that of the Other. He fisted his hands against the fabric of his pants; equal feelings of rage and devastation bringing tears to his eyes as he stared at the barren world.

"Obi-Wan?" The sound of his master's voice went unheeded as he stared at the image, a feeling of betrayal making his heart clench violently. A dark feeling begin to grow inside him - an anger that threatened to explode out of him. There was a sharp pain from his knee and Obi-Wan yelped, jumping backwards as he stared down at Yoda in shock. The aged Master just watched him quietly, leaning innocently on his glimmer stick as if he hadn't just beat him with it.

But it was like a trance had been broken and when Obi-Wan looked back at the image, the only feeling he felt was a deep familiarity.

"Aleous." The foreign name slipped easily from his lips, as if he'd known of it all his life. Mace Windu nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed as he watched him.

"It was once called that, yes. But now it goes by the name of Felamore, after the royal family that rules it." The Council Member seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing uneasily at Master Yoda before continuing. "It is also the world you were born on."

A clawed hand took his own and Obi-Wan looked at the little Master in surprise. The Grand Master's expression was gentle, his eyes even kinder. "Go there, you must."

Obi-Wan looked back at the golden world, his face a mixture of dread and acceptance. It seemed he was indeed going home.

* * *

So, there's the newest chapter. Only five pages but honestly, this is my 'short chapter' story. It's kind of a relief after how long the others one get to be.

So what did you think? I wanted the first half of the chapter to have a feeling of stillness to it. Hope I managed to get that across. As always, I love hearing favorite parts!

Thanks for reading!


	8. Of Waking Dreams and Padawans

Rough chapter, only read over it one or two times. I'll go back later though. Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

**Sleepless**

**Chapter 8**

_Of Waking Dreams_

He turned from the view port, a sour taste in his mouth.

_I really don't want to go there. _

Obi-Wan leaned back further and let out a hiss when the skin on the back of his neck came into contact with the cold glass. Obi-Wan turned, his breath catching as he stared at the steadily approaching planet. From so close, he could see how far the desert had encroached.

_Only the capital states remain green. _

He didn't know how he knew that the small patch of green could be divided into three large states, but he did. He also knew that there had been at least eighteen larger, farming states that had surrounded them that were now apparently barren. He felt his brow furl.

_How…do I know this? _

The distraught padawan squeezed his eyes so he could no longer see the golden orb. The familiarity – or rather Obi-Wan's confusion over why some parts of him were no longer familiar to him – was terrifying. He had never heard of this planet Felamore, or whatever it called itself, before. So why did his heart beat so wildly with anticipation and dread in his chest? Obi-Wan turned from the planet, rubbing fiercely at his eyes. Force, he wished he could just go to sleep! His mind was so tired, even if his body was not. If he could only enjoy the mindlessness of unconsciousness for a few hours, Obi-Wan was sure everything would seem so much better.

He dropped his hands from eyes and gasped. His quarters were gone, replaced by a wide desert that stretched out before him. Obi-Wan blinked hard against the sight – but it remained.

'It's a memory. My memory.'

Fear jolted across his spine at the sound of the Other's voice and Obi-Wan turned, almost against his will, and found himself face to face with him.

'Would you like to see?'

The other smiled a cruel smile, reaching for him even as Obi-Wan shrank from the transparent hands.

* * *

His foot slid as he stepped from the last bits of thinning grass to the brilliant, golden sand. The sand beneath his feet gave way as he strode across it purposefully and he adjusted his steps accordingly. In his arms, his small nephew perked up, staring at the wide expanse of desert from behind his pacifier.

With bright, curious grey eyes over full, rosy little checks and a crown of black curls, Nor seemed almost unearthly in his beauty. He watched, fascinated, as his nephew drank in his surroundings. He did not need to pay attention to his footing – there were no rocks here and even if there were, he knew the desert paths like the back of his hand.

He knew that this was a new sight for his little Nor. Few found beauty in the encroaching desert and even fewer wished to visit. The environmental technology had stalled its advance – and would keep the sands at contained indefinitely if his people could stop warring long enough to use it consistently.

_Of little matter_, he thought with some annoyance, _once I win this mundane war I will drive the deserts back. Let it have what little ground it could take for now._

The little boy in his arms twisted to look at him, pointing out at the towering dunes that were coming ever closer with each step he took.

"Enh?" He had no idea what his nephew was squeaking to him, so he just nodded and smiled an appeasing smile. That seemed good enough for Nor, for the little boy let out a happy giggle and returned to watching the sands around them as they trekked even deeper into the wastes.

His comm. was vibrating violently against his free hip, as it had been for the past few hours but he ignored it, choosing instead to bop the toddler on his other hip. Nor giggled happily, his little chubby hands gripping at his cloak as he trilled with each bounce.

_Cute kid,_ he thought as he ran a gentle hand through soft curls, _seriously cute._

Finally, when he was slick down to his underclothing with sweat and grime, he stopped his trek. He dropped his pack from his shoulder and rummaged around in it before pulling a blanket from within it. It had a trio of playful Gizka lovingly embroidered in one corner and Nor's name in traditional script at the other end. He could still remember the tireless hours his little sister had spent with her needlework, the blanket spread over her enlarged belly.

_For my own little Gizka, _she would say with a happy little laugh, her face glowing with maternal love. He could never understand why she didn't just find the baby's gender - Lia-anni had insisted on it being a surprise, picking the most neutral baby color their culture had available. An almost disgustingly bright yellow.

He spread the blanket on the ground evenly, careful to keep as must sand from getting onto it as possible and then gently set his nephew down. The little boy cooed happily, his little hands grasping at the familiar blanket happily. He quirked a grin as Nor waved his hands up in down in a display of true infantile joy.

He ran a gentle hand over a chubby belly and up across full checks before cupping the toddlers head affectionately. He stroked the curls for a few moments; allowing himself to take in every detail of his nephew, bask in the pure love and trust that those grey eyes shown with as they stared up at him.

And then he left.

Only when his feet were once again on blood red soil and surrounded by struggling, bone-white grass did he flip his buzzing comm. open. Almost instantly the infuriated voice of his brother-in-law was roaring across the clearing. He watched in blatant amusement as a flock of Hezacks took to the sky screeching, startled at the sound.

"Where is he, you deranged bastard?"

He tsked, lighting a slender orange cigarette as he watched the circling Hezacks. "Really, Selim, that's not really the way you should talk to someone when you want something."

Gods, he really hated easterners.

"I swear to Shin's bones, if you've hurt him-"

"Brother!" The hysterical voice of his sister was suddenly echoing around him. "Please! Please, brother! He's just a baby!" He could almost taste her tears, she was so despondent.

He sighed wearily, bringing a hand up to rub at his forehead, ignoring the way the smoke burned his eyes. "Truly, Lia-anni, you have no one to blame but yourselves. I will admit, perhaps Selim more so, but honestly – you knew so much better."

"Please,_ please_, brother! He is not even two cycles! Please, return him! I beg of you!" He felt his patience snap.

"Enough." His voice was like iron, lashing out from him and whipping the sands around him up violently. "Your son is one with the desert now."

"You wouldn't dare." Selim's voice was harsh, his breath an almost pant. "Not to the scion of the kingdom."

"Come now, let us not play that card. We three know so much better then that."

Dead silence met that remark.

"You wouldn't dare." His voice was hollow. Despite his words, he knew Selim knew it as the truth. "Your cup-"

"-is not full? Perhaps, but yours is bone dry my dear, dear _King._" This was truly out of his hands – truly it was. "You have taken what is mine – and I always, always, get what is mine. Isn't that true, dear sister?"

The broken sounds of her sobs echoed eerily out of the comm. With a yawn he flicked it off and made his way to his speeder, throwing the unit onto the dash as he dug out the cooler that held his lunch. Politics always made him hungry.

_Of Padawans_

From his seat, Qui-Gon sighed, staring out the view port at the slowly approaching planet. His drink was untouched, with only the cool condensation against his hand to remind him that it was there at all. He could not shake this feeling of dread, the feeling that the innocent enough looking planet was going take something from him.

It was ironic, considering how badly he had wanted to be freed from the Temple. Now that he finally was off Coruscant and had a new mission the only thing he wanted was to retreat to his quarters and lock the door, Obi-Wan in toe.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. The boy had come into his life with the delicacy of a bantha in a china shop. There was no part of his life that remained untouched by the boy's presence in some shape or form. It was frightening and in its own way humbling, how quickly he'd become attached. Qui-Gon was distinctively aware, even without both Mace and Yoda reiterating it for him, that such bonds as the one he had with Obi-Wan were growing increasingly rare within the Order.

Somehow he knew that should he loose Obi-Wan now it would be a hundred times worse than Xanatos. Despite how that day on Telos had colored every action that came after or before it, Qui-Gon still had close to ten years with his former Padawan. Ten years of memories and experiences, good and bad.

To loose Obi-Wan before they had even the chance to form a month's worth of _anything_ would be a blow that the Jedi honestly didn't know if he could come back from. A dark hand was placed on his and if Qui-Gon had been a lesser man he would have jumped. Instead he simply turned to look at his mission companion.

Tahl, a dear friend that had been in the same clan as him and thus been in almost every class with him through their Initiate years, had been assigned to accompany him. She'd had business on Felamore no more than two years ago and as the political situation hadn't changed too much, was considered the foremost expert they had on the Felamoraes, outside of Mace.

The Noorian gave him a questioning look and Qui-Gon reprimanded himself mentally before giving her hand a gentle pat. "I am sorry, was I broadcasting too loudly?"

"No," she gave him another curious look, "But that fact that you are at all is questionable. You are truly worried about your padawan, then?" He nodded mutely, turning to glance once more outside the view port.

Tahl was one of his oldest friends and yet he had told her little outside what the Council had chosen to brief her on. It was not that he did not want her here, that was not it all. Qui-Gon enjoyed the time he spent with fiery woman, especially as it had most likely been a good five years since they had had a mission together.

But he did not know if Obi-Wan was capable of handling Tahl's more…abrasive quirks. He had no idea how the brash woman would react to Obi-Wan's 'possession' and frankly, he did not want to.

"I was devastated to hear that he was ill," Tahl said after a moment of silence, watching him out of the corner of her eye. "Did the Healers say what they were hoping to find on Felamore to heal his, er, condition?"

Qui-Gon almost rolled his eyes at his friend's obvious attempt a fact finding. "We're not too sure of the details quite yet."

The other Jedi glared at his short answer before scoffing and folding her arms with a huff, her nose wrinkling in a way that Qui-Gon had always found adorable. A genuine smile quirked his lips before falling away once more. Tahl would always be the same, regardless of if she was five or thirty eight. It was comforting, at least, to know that some things hadn't changed completely.

"I must admit, I was gobsmacked to hear you'd taken another apprentice. Didn't think it was really true until the Council meeting." He gave her a sharp look at her tone and Tahl had the good grace to blush. "Er, I mean, I just thought…with…you know…_him_…you'd not take another one." Qui-Gon's scowl grew darker. "I mean, I just thought that you'd tell me yourself. Come on, Jinn! We shared the same crèche together."

She'd managed to put a fair amount of outrage into that last past and Qui-Gon shrugged and stared down at his drink. "I would have told you, Tahl, you're one of the few remaining members of my clan mates. It was just-"

"You got busy." Tahl finished with a dejected sigh, blowing a stray piece of her bangs from her face. "Fine, I'll let it go this time. But do try and drop me a line when the kid gets Knighted. I might just like to attend, you know, just for kicks." She finished dryly.

"Tahl, I-"

"I mean, I sent you a fifteen minute long video message when I took my new apprentice – _and_ brought her over to meet you. But that's alright; you can keep your secrets. I understand that men need to have them."

"Tahl-"

"Of course, I'm not really that important. I've only known you for ninety percent of your life, hey, there's no need to count that. Not really, I mean, I understand and all-"

With a groan Qui-Gon let his head fall to rest against his forearm, cold drink pressed against his forehead. Normally he was all up for Tahl's twisted sense of humor, but right now he was too exhausted and too worried. She fell silent next to him. "I am sorry, Tahl. It just all happened so quickly and Obi-Wan fell ill right away, I would have told you as soon as things calmed down."

A cool hand was pressed against his neck and he opened a single eye to find her smiling down at him. "I'm just jerking your chain, Qui-Gon. You know that. But I'll be merciful seeing how you've managed to exhaust yourself quite nicely."

"How gracious of you." He muttered, before closing his eyes once more. A thought struck him almost immediately afterwards and he sat up, turning to look at his friend with a puzzled look of his own. "Speaking of padawans, why did you choose not to bring yours with you?"

"Hm? Oh, Bant will be just fine on her own for a little bit. I often leave her behind, I work better on my own sometimes." Qui-Gon couldn't help but frown disapprovingly at the flippancy with which she spoke.

"Taking a padawan is serious business, Tahl. You cannot simply pick and choose what missions you take her on."

The Noorian looked at him like he was crazy. "That's exactly what it means. I'm her master, Qui-Gon. What I decided to do with my own padawan is my business."

The sharpness in her tone led him to believe that this was not the first time she'd had this conversation. In the three months she'd taken on Bant Eerin, Tahl had left the Mon Calamari at the Temple four times. It was almost unheard of for something like that to be done so many times outside of direct Council order. And Tahl was right, it was not his place to say anything. But Qui-Gon was her friend, so he was going to say it anyway.

"She's not a pet, you can't just leave her behind when it gets too much for you to handle." He could see by the way her face froze that he'd nailed it on the dot. For as outgoing and amazing a Jedi Tahl was, she had a tendency to find outs of situations that made her uncomfortable. And she usually found it to, along with whatever path that would be to put her at the least risk of being hurt in any shape or form.

"Oh and I suppose you are the perfect character to be handing out padawan raising advice." Her striped iris widened in horror almost the instant the words had left her mouth. Qui-Gon had gone completely rigid, staring at her in mute shock and betrayal. "Oh, Sith! I didn't mean that, Qui-Gon! I really didn't. It's just…having an padawan is so much different then what I thought and the Council is paying so much attention-"

"They always pay attention to padawan linkings, especially if it is your first one." The older Master's tone was icy. He tried to let the anger go, but he was finding it incredibly hard to. He knew the words were the truth. And he had known she hadn't meant to say them the moment they'd escaped her lips. Being a Jedi was good for something, even if he didn't already know the woman. But she had thought them. Qui-Gon brought his hand up to wipe his mouth and tried to think of something to say – anything to say – that would communicate while he was still reeling a bit, he had already forgiven her. It was his own Master, Dooku, who had told him that friendships were a double edged sword. "It's just Bant is one of Obi-Wan's best friends. I had thought that you were bringing her and-"

"You hoped she would help keep his mind of his illness. Force, Qui-Gon I'm sorry. I honestly didn't even know they were friends."

That surprised him and Qui-Gon looked up at his dear friend for a moment, his own nervousness and fear temporarily gone. Her dark complexion was troubled as she stared down at the patterns carved into the metal below them. This time it was he who laid a comforting hand on her own.

"You must reach out to her more, Tahl. There wasn't a story that Obi-Wan has told me about his childhood that did not involve Bant Eerin. But she is a shy girl and you must be patient and work with her. I know it's intimidating but you have to get to know her, deeply, or else you can never work as a Master-Padawan team."

Tahl looked somber for a few moments and then shook her head grimly. "She's so damn smart. I don't even know how I'm supposed to talk to her. She isn't like the other kids. She's practically an adult."

"Practically being the key word here. She needs you and you will need her. You can't truly understand how beneficial this kind of partnership-"

"Said the man who swore he would never take another." Tahl muttered darkly.

Qui-Gon sent her an irritated look but decided to simply talk over her words and prove himself the better man, er, Jedi. "-until you experience it. Yes, it can end…badly, like mine. But it can also be a chance for so many great things. Many view claiming an apprentice the Jedi equivalent of having a child."

"Jeez, Qui-Gon, you sound like you're writing a brochure or something. Calm down, I already claimed one didn't I?"

"Perhaps I should ask the elder Masters to make you a packet of them, perhaps then you'll finally learn some manners." Qui-Gon snapped back with a slight growl, the corner of his lips quirking up. Almost instantly a lopsided grin took Tahl's face.

"See, I knew if I was just annoying enough I could get you to smile." Qui-Gon could have hit her.

"You idiot, don't you -" Qui-Gon stopped mid-lecture, staring blankly at the bar in front of them. Tahl looked from him to the bar across the way and then to him again, a deep frown on her face. And suddenly Qui-Gon was on his feet and in the hallway, leaving a stunned Tahl staring after him in confusion.

* * *

There ya go. Eight pages for the eighth chapter. Jeez, I think I'm clever. Please review. As always, I love to hear your favorites of the chapter. Anything stick out in particular?

Teaser for upcoming chapter:

"You are not Obi-Wan."

A grim smile, then; "No, I'm not.


End file.
